Smuggling marijuana is a relatively common practice in America today; this is evidenced clearly by the widespread use of marijuana in America. Transporting any amount of marijuana for the purposes of selling is illegal and comes with extremely heavy penalties. As a result, drug smugglers are famous for the varied and creative ways with which they conceal illegal substances in hopes of evading the authorities.
In a massive drug bust, authorities recently uncovered a smuggling operation that included a total of 3,734 pounds of marijuana. The drugs were apparently smuggled from Texas to Charleston, South Carolina, where it was then intended to be distributed in Charleston and here in North Carolina.
Authorities say the drugs were all pressed into tiles, each about one foot square. The tiles were then placed inside furniture, which was then taken to Charleston for sale.
A customs officer in Texas discovered some of the marijuana in a piece of furniture bound for Charleston. That launched a larger investigation that eventually uncovered more marijuana hidden inside chairs, desks and other pieces of furniture, each specially made to conceal marijuana. Authorities called the scheme “very sophisticated.”
Two foreign nationals are being held for their suspected role in the operation. Authorities have not released any information about the two, but they are likely facing very serious drug trafficking charges.
Such charges often come with extremely harsh penalties; those convicted of smuggling large amounts of marijuana will likely face years of imprisonment.
This nearly two-ton drug bust was billed as the largest in Charleston County’s history, though news outlets were quick to point out that this wasn’t true. In 1978, authorities discovered approximately 15 tons of marijuana in a tractor-trailer and a rental van on an island in the southern part of the county.
Source: The Post and Courier, “Charleston County drug bust nets nearly two tons of marijuana, but 1978 seizure was bigger” No Author Given, Nov. 19, 2013