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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2003
Drug-Related
Homicide Task Force Seizes Homemade Armored Vehicle
 SEPT
30--Detroit, MI- On September 19, 2003, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA), Detroit Police Department (DPD), and the Michigan State Police
(MSP) raided a home, valued at over $1 million dollars, located at 22636
Lake Crest Drive, St. Clair Shores, Michigan. The investigation involves
large-scale marijuana trafficking throughout the Southeast Michigan area
with numerous ongoing homicides believed to be connected to this case.
Evidence seized at
the residence included a 2000 GMC cargo van, which had been converted
into a homemade armored vehicle by the suspected traffickers. From the
exterior, the vehicle appeared to be a standard cargo van. However, upon
examining the interior of the vehicle, the agents realized that the organization
had installed 3 inches of bulletproof glass around the entire rear compartment
of the vehicle. In the occupant compartment, the group had installed custom
rails with bulletproof glass, which allowed the driver and passenger to
vertically raise the "ballistic shield" over the vehicle's side
window while maintaining their mobility. This is believed to be the first
time any vehicle such as this has been seized by law enforcement in the
United States, which had the potential to cause extreme danger to the
public as well as police.
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