CBP officers intercept 343 pounds of cannabis in Pennsylvania, revealing a bold new frontier in global drug trafficking.#News #PhiladelphiaPA #Pennsylvania #Crime
PHILADELPHIA, PAEfforts to curb international drug trafficking continue to intensify as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercept hundreds of pounds of cannabis destined for the United Kingdom. Recent busts in Pennsylvania highlight an alarming surge in illicit marijuana exports, with over 340 pounds seized in just two incidents this month.
Major Seizures Signal Growing Demand
On November 6, CBP officers at an international shipping facility in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, confiscated 25 parcels of marijuana weighing 132 pounds. Two days later, on November 8, the same facility saw an even larger haul: 52 parcels totaling 210 pounds of cannabis. Together, these shipments weighed 343 pounds and carried a combined street value in the U.S. of approximately $1.5 million. Officers also uncovered a parcel containing more than two pounds of hashish.
The packages were being shipped from multiple addresses in California to various destinations in the U.K., where American-grown cannabis commands significantly higher prices. According to CBP, the demand for premium marijuana in London often drives prices two to three times higher than in the United States.
Recent Busts Add to Alarming Trends
These incidents are just the latest in a string of marijuana smuggling attempts intercepted by CBP. Days before the November seizures, officers at the same facility confiscated 170 pounds of cannabis, also bound for the U.K.
The growing trend isn t limited to parcel shipments. Three weeks prior, at Philadelphia International Airport, officers discovered 114 pounds of marijuana stashed in the luggage of two women preparing to board a flight to London. The women, identified as Anetta Rachell Collins, 49, of Ventura, California, and Ty Taanetia Anettra Angel Mason, 24, of Las Vegas, Nevada, were charged with felony possession with intent to distribute.
CBP Warns of the Global Market s Impact
Cleatus Hunt, CBP s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia, addressed the increasing threat posed by the international drug trade. In a statement, Hunt said, Customs and Border Protection officers continue to seize an unprecedented number of illicit export parcels of marijuana, which illustrates both the value and the threats presented by the global marketplace. Consumers around the world can essentially get whatever they want and from wherever they want at the price that they want to spend, even if the product violates the export or import nation s laws or whether the product poses a health and safety threat to consumers.
CBP officials remain committed to intercepting illegal shipments and preventing dangerous products from reaching consumers, whether in the U.S. or abroad.
The agency s recent success in uncovering these smuggling operations underscores the challenges posed by an increasingly globalized marketplace. As drug traffickers exploit international shipping networks, CBP continues to play a critical role in safeguarding public health and enforcing the law.
RELATED TOPICS:Crime|Pennsylvania
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