Earlier this month, USA authorities seized 363 pounds of cocaine concealed in a shipment of Costa Rican pumpkins and squash in Philadelphia.
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The 383 pounds were the eighth-largest cocaine seizure in the history of the Port of Philadelphia. The cocaine was shaped into 384 long packages laminated to the inside of the fruit case box flaps, according to a news release. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered the cocaine prior to that trip to New York after inspecting the shipping container and its contents.
The investigation is ongoing.
The boat might not have been checked for illegal cargo if it wasn’t for a tip from the Drug Enforcement Agency saying drugs were onboard, VICE reports.
Homeland security investigations Philadelphia say the drugs have a street value of more than $6 million. Narcotics interdiction remains a Customs and Border Protection enforcement priority.
Authorities said the seized cocaine would be a “major blow” to drug-trafficking organizations in the area.
John Kelleghan is with Homeland Security.
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“Because of the efforts of the law enforcement you see here today, this cocaine will never reach the streets of our city”, a Homeland Security spokesperson said. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
