5 charged with shipping Colo. pot in unlikely hiding spots
DENVER -- Authorities say five men conspired to send hundreds of pounds of Colorado pot to other states by hiding it in furniture and shipping it on commercial trucks.
A forfeiture lawsuit filed Tuesday says the men also disguised pot-filled packages, once concealing weed inside a vacuum cleaner destined for New York. Court documents say the men were arrested in September, but federal prosecutors now want to take ownership of more than $60,000 seized during the investigation.
The case illustrates the trend of illegal traffickers covertly shipping potent Colorado pot to other states where it can sell for more than double what it fetches in a legal Colorado shop.
Court documents say two of the men used to get weed from dispensaries and grow-houses. Then they sought larger quantities from someone who turned out to be an undercover federal agent.