FOREST PARK, Ga. – Celery was used to conceal more than 2,300 pounds (1,043 kilograms) of methamphetamines that federal agents discovered in a truck at a farmers market outside Atlanta, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said.
In what the DEA called one of the largest seizures of its kind, agents confiscated the drugs being delivered to the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park, authorities said at a Monday news conference, WAGA-TV reported.
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The agency had learned about a semitrailer coming across the Mexican border and agents tracked the drugs to the farmers market, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert Murphy. The drugs were found inside the truck, he said.
“This was contained in a cover load of celery,” Murphy said. “It was hiding in the celery. Obviously, we threw away the celery. That didn’t make it to the store.”
A Mexican citizen was arrested, the Atlanta TV station reported. Details about the suspect and charges were not immediately available Tuesday.
Using produce to conceal drugs has become a frequent tactic of smugglers, authorities said.
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This story has been updated to correct that the agency is the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, not the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.