N.J. - Customs agents find over 6 tons of marijuana in yam shipment

[Hash]

Newark - Federal agents uncovered over 6 tons of marijuana in a shipment of yams that arrived at Port Elizabeth from Jamaica, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday.

The importer was supposedly a company in New York, but is now believed to be fictitious, the agency said. It had previously surfaced a year earlier, when Customs officers found 877 pounds of marijuana in an abandoned shipment of pumpkins.

The 12,750 pounds of marijuana was worth at least $6 million, said Special Agent Lawrence Hardie of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He could not say if it was among the largest seizures, but said, "It's a substantial seizure."

The drug was found Monday during an inspection of a freight container, he said. He declined to comment on whether agents got a tip that led them to the drugs.



Source: Philly Burbs.com
Copyright: 2005 Calkins Media, Inc.
Contact: http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/fe...?tmpl=interact
Website: http://www.phillyburbs.com/