Feds Seize 363 Pounds Of Cocaine Discovered In Shipment Of Pumpkins And Squash
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Federal authorities hold a show and tell at the Philadelphia Custom House, for a big cocaine seizure found in a shipment of pumpkins and squash at the Port of Philadelphia.
It's the largest cocaine stash found in years (8th largest ever) at the port - 363-pounds inside fruit boxes on a container ship.
Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia Special Agent-In-Charge John Kelleghan says it has a street value of more than $6-million.
"The cocaine was expertly distinguished in a shipment of squash and pumpkins, and because of the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies, it was found, seized and will never reach the streets of our country."
The container of fruit arrived aboard a ship from Costa Rica bound for a distributor in the Bronx, New York.
The Assistant Port Director for Tactical Operations at the Philadelphia US Customs and Border Protection, Paul Nardella says "a lot of people got their hands dirty," doing x-rays, and going through boxes, inside which they found meticulously packaged cocaine.
"This is basically just laminated, inside the box."
While authorities made no arrests, Kelleghan says they made the seizure, rather than allowing it to proceed, because it would not jeopardize their ongoing investigation.
"We have offices abroad that will assist us in following up and backtracking the location of where the container originated, and we'll take other investigative steps that i can't get into here."
Officials at the Drug Enforcement Administration forwarded a tip the DEA received about the shipment to its counterparts, that started the investigation.