The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alleged that celery was used to hide more than 2,300 pounds of meth that were found in a truck at a farmers market south of Atlanta by federal officials.
Agents seized the drugs being carried to the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park in what the DEA called one of the largest seizures of its kind, officials announced at a press conference on Monday, according to a news outlet.
According to DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert Murphy, the agency obtained information about a semitrailer crossing the Mexican border, and agents tracked the contraband to the farmers market. He added that the drugs were discovered within the truck.
“This was contained in a cover load of celery,” Murphy stated. “It was hiding in the celery. Obviously, we threw away the celery. That didn’t make it to the store.”
On Tuesday, specifics of the accused and the charges were not immediately accessible.
According to officials, smugglers now frequently use produce as a cover for drugs.
The Drug Enforcement Administration states that meth is a stimulant that is extremely addictive. The Mexican drug trafficking groups are the main producers and distributors of it in the United States. Meth overdose can result in many organ problems due to hyperthermia, stroke, heart attack, or other fatal conditions.
Read Also:Â Florida Boaters Stumble Upon $1 Million in Barnacle-Covered Cocaine
Meth has been detected in other vegetables besides celery. Dogs assisted in the earlier this year discovery of about 6 tons of meth concealed within a shipment of squash in California.
Over 3,000 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine were discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents last year as drugs were being carried across the border concealed in bins of jalapeño paste.
Moreover, drugs have been discovered being smuggled in flour bags, confectionery boxes, sugar shipments, and green bean shipments.
Over the past year, cocaine has also been discovered concealed inside banana shipments on multiple occasions throughout the world.
