CINCINNATI – This was more than just nuts.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Cincinnati intercepted shipments of cocaine earlier this month that were hidden in packages of roasted peanuts and cosmetics.
On Aug. 11, a narcotics dog was sniffing incoming freight from Mexico and alerted authorities to packages of roasted peanuts, the CBP said in a news release.
The shipment, coming from Anguilla, contained more than 2 ounces of cocaine concealed within the nuts. Smugglers packaged the drugs in tiny bundles about the same size as the nuts to avoid X-ray exam anomalies, according to the CBP. The package was addressed to a private residence in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, customs officials said in the news release.
On Aug. 9, customs officers discovered more than 42 pounds of cocaine in a shipment of cosmetics bound to New South Wales, Australia, according to the CBP. The drugs were placed in small aluminum foil packets wrapped in black cellophane and were tucked under pressed cosmetic powder, according to customs officials.
“Our officers have been trained to identify and stop shipments that pose a threat to our nation and our international counterparts,” LaFonda Sutton-Burke, the director of field operations for the Chicago field office, said in a statement. “We are committed to the CBP mission and continue to assist our law enforcement allies around the world.”
