LANCASTER, Pa- The Lancaster Drug Task Force stopped a New York-to-Lancaster drug operation by nabbing a man last week at a train station with 199 packets of synthetic marijuana.
Dante Allen Gillespie, 27, was arrested Feb. 16 as he returned from New York, where he apparently purchases several different brands of the drug.
Gillespie is at Lancaster County Prison, without bail due to prior warrants, charged with three felony counts of drug-dealing.
Officials say among the brands of synthetic marijuana seized during the arrest at the train station were: “Dafuq,” “Geeked Up,” and “One Wish.”
Detectives said the packets sell for $20 apiece; in all, the packets would sell for an estimated $4,000.
Police said the different brands are composed of different chemical compounds.
The Task Force, in conjunction with Lancaster city police’s Selective Enforcement Unit, had been watching Gillespie for some time in regard to suspected drug dealing. On Feb. 16, detectives watched him buy a round-trip ticket to New York and caught him when he returned.
The drug, which is manufactured not grown, can cause erratic, dangerous effects and sometimes violent behavior.
Amtrak police also assisted in the investigation.