CBP officers seize $875K in marijuana disguised as a shipment of men's overalls
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Baltimore seized $875,000 in marijuana after it was discovered in a shipment disguised as men's overalls.
Officers found more than 200 pounds of the psychoactive drug concealed inside 155 vacuum-sealed packages April 29, according to a press release from CBP.
The drug-filled packages were being shipped via air cargo to Belgium and were labeled as "brace overalls for men / heavy duty workwear bib."
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The marijuana, which has a street value of around $875,000 in the U.S., could have a value of two to three times that amount in Europe, depending on its potency, CBP said.
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CBP officers noted in the release there's an ongoing trend of transnational criminal organizations trying to ship U.S.-based marijuana overseas to Europe and Africa, where "high-quality weed can fetch huge profits."
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"Smugglers, including transnational criminal organizations, based in oversaturated marijuana markets, attempt to generate revenue by illegally exporting bulk shipments to markets across the globe," Jason Kropiewnicki, CBP's acting area port director for the Area Port of Baltimore, said in a statement.
The incident is being investigated by special agents with Homeland Security Investigation's Border Enforcement Security Task Force, CBP said.
Every day last year, CBP officers seized an average of 1,571 pounds of drugs at different ports of entry across the U.S., according to the release.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.Original article source: CBP officers seize $875K in marijuana disguised as a shipment of men's overalls
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Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
