Whether smuggling drugs into a prison, into the country on a plane, or across borders, people in the drug trade battle with those tasked with detecting the illegal substances every day, and with everyday the game gets a little more intense. The Associated Press this week ran an interesting story outlining just how creative smugglers have gotten and how law enforcement have had to evolve right along with them.
Just a few weeks ago, nearly 20 people were arrested for smuggling drugs between Peru and New Jersey. The millions of dollars in cocaine has been converted into gels and liquids and passed off as shampoos and other personal care items.
Another case out of New Jersey found flowers being imported from South America in boxes made of heroin. When shredded and mixed with a solution, the boxes themselves would dissolve into liquid heroin.
But, it’s not all high technology and chemistry. In January drug traffickers at the U.S./ Mexican border were found using a catapult to move marijuana into the country. Several “narcosubs”, used to transport drugs under the surface of the ocean have also been recovered in recent months.
One man, in Dallas, was stopped for a simple traffic infraction when police discovered there wasn’t a body in the coffin he was transporting, but 100 pounds of marijuana instead. Last year a truck carrying 708 pounds of pot was confiscated en route to San Diego from Tijuana. The truck was filled with white sea bass and the pot was hidden beneath the fish and beneath a layer of ice.
Drug trafficking is a lucrative business with a high risk. This means those who take part in the business will do whatever possible to minimize their risk and increase their returns. Even going so far as to sculpt and paint small units of cocaine to look like black eyed peas, seemingly undetectable in a bag full of other peas.
Drugs in diapers, concealed in food, sewn into luggage, and hidden on the body are found everyday in airports and on roadways across the country. But for each drug bust, many more units make it into the country undetected.
When you are suspected of trafficking drugs, your case will be taken very seriously. Whether you were bringing them into the country, crossing state lines, or merely going across town, law enforcement officials and the courts alike treat the drug trade as a very serious matter.
If you are facing drug charges and in need of an aggressive, local criminal defense lawyer, contact us today.
About David Matson