A drug-sniffing dog working at the Port of Baltimore found more than 300 pounds of cocaine stuffed into duffel bags hidden in a refrigerated container of plantains.
The U.S. customs and Border Protection Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team Unit seized 125 bricks of cocaine, worth about $3 million, from aboard the vessel Alianca Shanghai after the ship docked at the Port of Baltimore.
“This cocaine seizure reflects the effectiveness of our officers to detect narcotics in the containerized cargo environment,” Michael Hrinyak, the Port Director for the Port of Baltimore, said in a statement. “We are determined to catch smugglers and the narcotics they attempt to ship hidden in legitimate merchandise.”
The cocaine was secreted inside a 40-foot refrigerated container that originated in Guayaquil, Ecuador and was destined for the Port of New York, authorities said.
