Over $3M in pot seized at Peace Bridge in Fort Erie

Border patrol officers say they confiscated about $3.3 million of marijuana from a commercial truck crossing into the U.S. via the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, Ont., last Friday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say they seized more than 800 kilograms of pot stored in crates of coffee grounds discovered with a shipment of coffee makers in a routine truck inspection.

“During a non-intrusive inspection scan of the commercial truck, an anomaly was noticed that concerned officers and the truck shipment was further inspected,” U.S. Customs said in a release on Tuesday. “Subsequently, officers initiated a physical exam and discovered sealed crates not consistent with other packaging.”

The driver of the truck has been charged by New York state attorneys for possession and importation of marijuana.

“While the COVID-19 response may have slowed commerce across our Nation’s borders, this arrest proves not only that criminals persist in their efforts to break the law but that law enforcement remains vigilant in its effort to uphold it,” U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy said in a statement.

U.S Customs says there’s been an increase in drug seizures within the Buffalo field office since restrictions on cross-border travel began on March 21.

The office, which covers 16 ports of entry throughout New York State, has made more than 225 narcotic seizures so far in 2020, an increase of 1,600 per cent compared to the same time period in 2019.