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Customs officers seize over 400 pounds of marijuana hidden in dehumidifiers

CINCINNATI — Investigators said that an alert K-9 officer found hundreds of pounds of drugs hidden inside a shipment of dehumidifiers.

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In a news release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said 413 pounds of marijuana were found in vacuum-sealed bags inside a shipment at the port of Cincinnati arriving from Ontario, Canada. Bruno, a narcotic detector dog, was credited with finding the drugs that had been hidden inside the dehumidifier cases.

“Our canine teams are an invaluable asset to the CBP enforcement strategy,” LaFonda Sutton-Burke, director of field operations-Chicago Field Office, said in a statement. “These interdictions are a testament to the hard work, dedication and training these teams employ on a daily basis protecting America.”

Customs officers said the drugs were intended to go to a company based in the United Kingdom. The drugs have an estimated street value of $1.1 million.

While both medicinal and recreational marijuana is legal in Canada, CBP officers told WHIO that the sale, possession, production and distribution of the drug remains illegal under U.S. federal law.