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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 10, 2005 Phu Binh Tran, 25, of San Jose, Calif. Ecstasy bust worth $1.2 million OSP says arrest of California man is likely largest seizure of the drug on Oregon roads By CHRIS CONRAD Mail Tribune Oregon State Police seized a possible record-breaking 45 pounds of Ecstasy Tuesday evening during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 5 near Rogue River. Phu Binh Tran, 25, of San Jose, Calif., was arraigned on charges of unlawful manufacturing and delivery of methylenedioxy (Ecstasy) Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court. He remained in the Jackson County Jail on $65,000 bail. OSP Senior Trooper Pam Gaither pulled Tran over at about 6:40 p.m. after clocking his 2001 Toyota sedan traveling 80 mph near milepost 47, OSP officials said. Tran consented to a search of his car, leading police to a duffel bag stuffed with an estimated $1.2 million in Ecstasy tablets hidden in the trunk, police said. "It’s an amount that causes people who have worked on these cases for a number of years to open their eyes," said OSP Capt. Kurt Barthel. Barthel said he believes Tran was heading south to California with the drugs. Advertisement This may be the largest seizure of Ecstasy ever made on Oregon roads, Barthel said. Ecstasy has not been a serious problem in Southern Oregon, he said, even during its heyday five years ago when drug- fueled raves were popular in cities such as Portland and San Francisco. OSP refused to allow photographs to be taken of the Ecstasy, citing the continuing investigation. OSP was assisted in the search by Drug Enforcement Administration detectives and OSP trooper Greg Costanzo and his drug dog, Cookie, police said. Ecstasy’s effects are a cross between a stimulant such as methamphetamine and a hallucinogen such as mescaline. A user feels a rush of euphoria brought on by the drug’s ability to raise serotonin levels, altering mood and sensation, according to the National Institute of Abuse and Addiction Web site. Ecstasy is rarely fatal, officials said. Before Tuesday’s arrest, Oregon’s largest seizure of Ecstasy during a traffic stop was in February, when 6.5 pounds were confiscated on Interstate 5 near Salem, OSP said. Another notable Ecstasy seizure occurred in October 2004, when a Canadian pilot was caught with 100,000 pills at the Portland International Airport, officials said. Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4459, or e-mail Ecstasy bust worth $1.2 million ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s