CINCINNATI — Investigators said that an alert K-9 officer found hundreds of pounds of drugs hidden inside a shipment of dehumidifiers.
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.
[ Photos: Over 400 pounds of marijuana found concealed in dehumidifier shipment in Cincinnati ]
“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.