How To Disguise 2,493 Pounds of Marijuana As Fresh Carrots

Marijuana As Fresh Carrots

In the rather green-minded plan, drug smugglers were caught with more than a ton of cannabis they had cleverly disguised as fresh carrots.The smugglers were busted crossing the border through Mexico.

Hiding their green bud among the orange vegetables, the smugglers tried driving through the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge on Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

After an image scan, officers brought out a canine team to sniff out the drugs.

Upon closer inspection, officers discovered that disguised among the cargo of fresh carrots were 2,817 packages of marijuana, wrapped into carrot shapes with orange plastic and packaged in identical bags.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected more than one ton of marijuana disguised as carrots at the Pharr International Bridge.

“Once again, drug smuggling organizations have demonstrated their creativity in attempting to smuggle large quantities of narcotics across the U.S./Mexico border,” said Port Director Efrain Solis Jr. “Our officers are always ready to meet those challenges and remain vigilant towards any type of illicit activities.”

The 2,493 pounds of marijuana seized by law enforcement officials was estimated to be worth about $499,000, police said.

It seems like a scheme that would only work once, a one-offer. But it turns out that this isn’t the first time drug runners have attempted to hide their fresh buds as fresh produce.

On Dec. 2, 2015, at the same bridge, police stopped drug dealers from bringing in $1.7 million worth of narcotics, which were disguised as cucumbers and carrots again.

About two weeks after that, officers found $479,000 worth of marijuana hidden among fresh tomatoes.

There’s plenty of produce coming from Mexico to hide cannabis in. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that Mexico by far is the largest supplier of fresh produce to the U.S.

The President of Mexico still does not support legalizing cannabis in the country.

President Enrique Peña Nieto has opposed the legalization of marijuana, but he has also held talks with experts to discuss potential new regulations, which may signal a change in his stance on the issue.