Seized ‘cocaine' was quinine

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 25

Seized ‘cocaine' was quinine

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) NEW HAVEN (Connecticut), August 31. What the police chief, Mr Biagio Dilieto two weeks ago called the largest cocaine seizure made in New Haven turned out to be legal quinine, the Associated Press reported.

Nine young persons spent from five to nine days in gaol because of the mistake.

The nine were arrested during separate raids on August 16 to August 19 on “the basis of information supplied by an informant,” Mr Dilieto said yesterday. They were released on August 24 and August 25 after laboratory tests proved that the seized white powder was medicinal quinine. The police chief said that he had recommended that charges of illegal possession of and intent to sell drugs be dismissed. He said that a field test had indicated the substance was cocaine, as did an initial laboratory test. It took a second, more sophisticated laboratory analysis to prove it to be quinine, he said.

"The officers had reasonable grounds to make the arrests,” Mr Dilieto said. “The error points out the way the informant system can be abused by the informer himself for favour with police, or by an overzealous officer anxious to make a record,” said Mr

Alphone Dibeneditto, the public defender representing five of the nine youths.

He commended Mr Dilieto for what he called “quick work in trying to rectify the mistake.” At the time of the arrests, Mr Dilieto issued a press release setting the value of the “cocaine” at $225,000 and calling it the largest amount taken in New Haven raids.