US Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly 150 pounds of cocaine hidden in an ice cream maker, officials said on Thursday. The drugs were bundled up and hidden in the walls of the ice cream makers and then it was detected by X-ray technology at a federal border, according to a CBP news release.
The customs officers in El Paso, Texas seized 146 pounds of drugs. According to CNN, one official estimated the street value of the drugs at $1.2 million.
According to the news release, the packages of illegal drugs were being taken from Mexico to the US. The officers seized the drugs on June 19, when a 1995 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by a 43-year-old Mexican man entered the port with the machine in tow.
An X-ray scan of the vehicle and commodity revealed anomalies. A CBP canine searched the vehicle and alerted to the equipment in the bed of the pick-up. CBP officers continued their exam and located 56 bundles of cocaine hidden within the walls of the ice cream maker.
The narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP. The driver, a 43-year-old Mexican man, was turned over to Texas DPS officers to face state charges connected to the failed smuggling attempt, the news release said.
"The vast majority of commercial shipments CBP officers process pose little risk, however, seizures like this remind us all that drugs can be concealed almost anywhere and that we must remain constantly vigilant," said acting CBP El Paso port director Luis Mejia in the release.
Earlier, 2,700kg (2.7 tonnes) of cocaine hidden in the banana crate was seized by police in Southern Italy. The police found the drugs by using specialised scanners, and the help of a sniffer dog called Joel.
The report further said that the containers were being shipped to Armenia, but the police managed to intercept the haul in Gioia Tauro.
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