Authorities say marijuana shipped overseas can attract prices many times higher than in the United States, especially if the cannabis is of higher quality. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 2 (UPI) — A Texas woman faces felony drug charges after police said they found more than 70 pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags in her luggage bound for London from Washington Dulles International Airport.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police arrested and charged Du Li Park, 30, of The Colony, Texas, with felony possession with intent to distribute, transporting controlled substances into the commonwealth, and narcotics conspiracy.
In a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents said MWAA Police made the arrest on Nov. 23 and it came after its officers found 71 pounds of the contraband in vacuum-packed bags inside two hard-shell suitcases belonging to Park.
Customs and Border Protection officers said they identified Park through baggage tags and escorted her and the two suitcases from the departure gate to CBP’s inspection station. There, officers said, they extracted 60 vacuum-sealed bags that contained a combined 32.52 kilograms — or 71 pounds and 11 ounces — of marijuana.
The officers said the marijuana had a street value of as much as $330,000 in the United States, which could bring as much as three times that in London.
“Bulk marijuana smuggling is illegal, and Customs and Border Protection will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold smugglers accountable,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. “Travelers who gamble with their freedom by smuggling bulk amounts of marijuana for a little extra cash may find themselves on the losing end of that proposition.”
Although it is illegal to ship marijuana across state lines and to export it from the United States, border officials say they recently have observed a continuing trend of U.S.-based growers and retailers shipping marijuana to Europe and Africa.
Authorities say marijuana shipped there can attract prices many times higher than in the United States, especially if the cannabis is of higher quality.
CBP officers say they usually see marijuana being exported in smaller parcels, but sometimes they do encounter travelers carrying marijuana-stuffed suitcases, as well.
Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Philadelphia said an “unprecedented” amount of marijuana was found in a warehouse outside the city and was destined for Europe. CBP said officers seized a combined total of 170 pounds of marijuana in 35 total parcels at an international shipping facility at a Delaware County warehouse in southeast Pennsylvania in November.