Police: Wash. man ran synthetic drug ring

Saturday, May 19, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Prosecutors accuse a Vancouver, Wash., man and three other people of leading an international conspiracy to manufacture and sell designer drugs online and to stores that earned them $5 million between 2009 and earlier this month.

The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/Ynf0sH ) 31-year-old Ryan Scott had shipments of merchandise from Peru labeled as incense, burial powder or insecticide, all of which government agents say were actually a synthetic drug that imitates the high of cocaine and Ecstasy.

Scott's shipments came to Oregon, Alaska and California.

Scott's attorney says what he's doing is legal.

Scott, a Hawaii man and a mother-daughter pair from Las Vegas were arrested this week on a variety of charges.

Federal agents also seized hundreds of pounds of dried plant materials, packaging equipment, and chemicals from a Vancouver warehouse.

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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com