Agents find more than 2,300 pounds of meth hidden in celery at Georgia farmers market
Celery was used to conceal more than 2,300 pounds of meth that federal agents discovered in a truck at a farmers market outside Atlanta, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said.
In what the DEA called one of the largest seizures of its kind, agents confiscated the drugs being delivered to the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park, authorities said at a Monday news conference, WAGA-TV reported.
The agency had learned about a semitrailer coming across the Mexican border and agents tracked the drugs to the farmers market, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert Murphy. The drugs were found inside the truck, he said.
"This was contained in a cover load of celery," Murphy said. "It was hiding in the celery. Obviously, we threw away the celery. That didn't make it to the store."
A Mexican citizen was arrested, the Atlanta TV station reported. Details about the suspect and charges were not immediately available Tuesday.
Using produce to conceal drugs has become a frequent tactic of smugglers, authorities said.
Meth is a highly addictive stimulant, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It's primarily manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Overdosing on meth can cause death from stroke, heart attack, or multiple organ problems caused by overheating.
Celery isn't the first vegetable meth has been found in. Earlier this year, dogs helped detect nearly 6 tons of meth hidden inside a squash shipment in California. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found more than 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine hidden in bins of jalapeño paste being transported over the border.
Drugs have also been found concealed in shipments of green beans, stashed in sugar shipments and being smuggled in flour bags and candy boxes, CBS News previously reported. Cocaine has been also been found hidden inside banana shipments several times across the globe over the last year.