Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted 10 pounds of marijuana at Washington Dulles International Airport that was stashed in luggage heading to Nigeria this week.
Authorities inspecting checked luggage for a scheduled flight to Nigeria uncovered vacuum-sealed bags of weed hidden inside clothing in a suitcase.
The marijuana cumulatively weighed about 10 pounds and 6 ounces. The drugs had a U.S. street value of $8,000 and an estimated Nigerian street value of $30,000.
The narcotic is illegal in Nigeria for both recreational and medicinal use.
Authorities noted the oddity of the crime. Given marijuana’s abundance on the global black market, trying to smuggle it almost 5,500 miles via commercial flight to Lagos is unusual.
“Sometimes we discover illicit products, but intercepting a marijuana load crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Nigeria is quite unusual with the abundance of marijuana available around the globe,” said Kim Der-Yeghiayan, acting area port director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C.
Customs and Border Protection agents have not found the traveler associated with the suitcase, and the investigation is continuing.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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