$5 million worth of meth discovered in fake watermelons on US-Mexico border
1,220 packages were disguised in watermelon-imitating plastic wrapping paper
More than $5 million worth of meth has been discovered inside fake watermelons on the US-Mexico border, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
1,220 packages of methamphetamine weighing more than two tonnes were found entering the California border from Mexico on August 20 before being seized by police.
Packages were disguised in watermelon-imitating plastic wrapping paper in two shades of green, police reported, and were each shaped to resemble the fruit in size.
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“The watermelon is known for being a refreshing fruit,” said the US Customs and Border Protection on Twitter. “But CBP officers seized more than $5M worth of meth disguised and concealed within a shipment of watermelons.”
The drugs were concealed in a mass shipment, thought to total over $5 million at street value, and were discovered by CBP officers in the Otay Mesa Port in San Diego earlier this month.
The shipment was discovered when officers stopped a 29-year-old man driving a tractor-trailer from Mexico into the US, hauling “a shipment manifested for watermelons”.
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“CBP officers referred the driver, the commercial tractor-trailer, and its cargo to secondary for further examination,” police said in a statement. “In the secondary inspection area, the watermelon shipment was offloaded to the intensive dock for further examination.”
The police statement added that after “careful inspection”, officers uncovered a mass supply of drugs inside fake watermelons, tested and identified as methamphetamine - commonly known as crystal meth.
The fake food shipment isn’t the first CBP has seen in recent months. Earlier in August, officers intercepted a 629-pound shipment of meth concealed in bags of celery. The drug haul was also heading across the US border from Mexico.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter