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The Naples conspiracy was cracked by a petty officer who went undercover and infiltrated a suspected social clique of young enlisted men and women who called themselves "the Regulators." Wearing a body wire and tape recorder, he eventually made direct contact with some Nigerians who tried to recruit him to go to Turkey for heroin and to Brazil for cocaine. Italian and Turkish police following his leads arrested seven people in Turkey and seized 4.5 kg of heroin. "We don't view this as a Navy problem or a Naples problem," says Spann. "This group of Nigerians is targeting U.S. personnel worldwide." Which is why the White Stallion case is galloping ahead as the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Drug Enforcement Administration investigate the preying of Nigerian underworld bosses on young Americans throughout Europe. "Several [of the sailors jailed] are cooperating," says Spann, and "there may in fact be more arrests."
--By Elaine Shannon/Washington