BALTIMORE (WBFF) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized over 200 pounds of marijuana in Baltimore on April 29, officials said via a press release.
The shipment, destined for Belgium, was concealed inside 155 vacuum-sealed packages labeled as “brace overalls for men / heavy duty workwear bib.”
Officials say the marijuana collectively weighed 201 pounds and five ounces, with an estimated street value of about $875,000 in the United States. In Europe, the shipment could have fetched two to three times more, depending on potency.
CBP officers have noted a trend of transnational criminal organizations attempting to ship U.S.-based marijuana to Europe and Africa, where high-quality cannabis can yield significant profits.
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Despite some states decriminalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, bulk smuggling remains illegal, and federal law prohibits transporting marijuana across state lines or exporting it from the United States.
“Smugglers, including transnational criminal organizations, based in oversaturated marijuana markets attempt to generate revenue by illegally exporting bulk shipments to markets across the globe,” said Jason Kropiewnicki, CBP’s Acting Area Port Director for the Area Port of Baltimore, via press release. “Customs and Border Protection officers are committed to enforcing our nation’s laws and interrupting these smuggling attempts to deprive criminals of their illicit profits.”
Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Border Enforcement Security Task Force are investigating the case. HSI is CBP’s investigative partner within the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized over 200 pounds of marijuana in Baltimore on April 29, officials said via a press release.The shipment Read More
