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Article date: Wednesday, 7 May 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7388036.stm

Students arrested in US drug raid

Image: Police said some students did little to hide their drug dealing

Twenty-nine people, most of them students, have been arrested in a drugs raid at a university in California.

The raid on Tuesday was part of a year-long operation triggered by the death of a San Diego State University student from a cocaine overdose last year.

In total, police seized several guns, large sums of money, 2kg (4.4lbs) of cocaine and 23kg (51lbs) of marijuana.

Undercover officers found some students openly dealing drugs - one sent a mass text message listing special prices.

During the course of the year-long investigation, a total of 96 people were arrested, including 75 San Diego State University students.

Drug 'sale'

Several of those arrested belonged to university college clubs, known as fraternities, six of which were suspended following Tuesday's raid.

Also among those arrested was a student who was about to receive a criminal justice degree, and another who was to receive a master's degree in homeland security, police said.

In the course of the investigation, undercover officers infiltrated seven campus fraternities and discovered that in some, most of the members were aware of organised drug dealing, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said.

Officers purchased cocaine from fraternity members and confirmed that a hierarchy existed for the purpose of selling drugs for money.

The DEA said one fraternity member sent out a mass text message to customers stating that he would be unable to sell cocaine while in Las Vegas for a fraternity event.

The text promoted a cocaine "sale" and listed reduced prices for bulk quantities.

Police began the investigation after Shirley Poliakoff, 19, died from a cocaine overdose on campus in May 2007.

During the course of the investigation, a student from another college died of a cocaine overdose at a fraternity house on campus, the DEA said.