Federal agents have seized 300 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in Brooklyn, marking one of the largest meth busts in New York City history. The drugs, valued at one million dollars, were discovered in a tractor-trailer disguised as a shipment of papayas. According to the DEA, smugglers had cleverly concealed the meth in compartments sawn into the pallets. The driver of the tractor-trailer was arrested and faces numerous drugs and weapons charges.
The seizure shows how organised crime groups are using ever-more sophisticated methods to evade detection. Smugglers would have known Border Force faced paying out hundreds of thousands of pounds had they damaged the combined 40 tonnes of equipment without detecting anything. Home Office minister Mike Tapp said: Vile drug smugglers thought the threat of a huge damages bill would scare Border Force off intercepting this deadly cocaine haul.