CINCINNATI — As the Coronavirus continues to affect people’s lives, more and more people are purchasing cleaning supplies online. However, smugglers are using this pandemic to conceal nefarious activities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati seized a shipment of disinfecting wipes that contained a little bit more than what you can find on your store shelf.
>>PHOTOS: Feds in Cincinnati seize pounds of marijuana hidden in disinfecting wipes
On May 6, 2020 CBP Officers inspected a shipment arriving from Canada and heading to a doctor in Barbados. Officers held the package for inspection based on their experience, x-ray anomalies and a drug detector canine alerted to the parcel. Inside officers found disinfecting wipe canisters and other cleaning products. However, inside those canisters and other packages was four pounds of Marijuana.
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“The dedication and vigilance of our officers at our express consignment facilities continues to prevent a substantial amount of drugs from reaching their destination,” said Richard Gillespie, Port Director, Cincinnati. “This is another excellent example of what U.S. Customs and Border Protection does each and every day.”
CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.
CBP seized an average of 3,707 pounds of illicit narcotics every day during 2019 across the United States