On August 17, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers seized over one half ton of cannabis from an Ontario plated commercial truck, heading for various locations within Michigan.
The truck which was supposed to be carrying office furniture destined for locations in Michigan was found to contain over 500 kg (~1,114 lbs) of cannabis in vacuum sealed packages concealed in cardboard boxes and loaded on to wooden pallets within the truck.
This is only the most recent in a long string of large seizures at the US/Canada border since the border was closed to all but essential traffic last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 11 thousand kilograms (~23,000 pounds) of cannabis have been seized coming into the US from Canada since that time.
“Even during a pandemic, traffickers continue to attempt to exploit our borders and will stop at nothing to try and introduce illicit drugs into our communities,” said Port Director Michael Fox, who oversees operations at the Port Huron Area Port of Entry. “Our officers remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting our borders from all types of criminal activity.”
The Detroit Field Office, which covers all ports of entry throughout Michigan has seen a significant increase in narcotics seized since essential travel restrictions were enacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March, CBP Field Operations has seized over 4,400 pounds of cannabis at ports of entry across Michigan.
Police place a value on this as over $40 million dollars, at a rate that works out to around $5 a gram, in over a dozen large seizures over the past five months.
