CINCINNATI (WDTN) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Wednesday a team discovered illegal drugs inside paintings being imported Friday.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, on March 6, a CBP canine team in Cincinnati intercepted smuggled narcotics in eight paintings being imported through a local express consignment facility. The paintings contained approximately 9.2 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of $16,720, officials said.
CBP Narcotic Detector Dog Kajo was working incoming freights from Mexico when he alerted to a shipment listed as “decorative paintings.” The package, which was headed to a private residence in Houston, Texas, contained eight paintings of religious images, with thin wooden panels on the backs of the frames. CBP officers inspected the frames and found a cavity behind the backs of the paintings. This space contained thin packets of white powder, which CBP said tested positive for methamphetamine.
“Our canine partners and their handlers are some of CBP’s most valuable resources,” said CBP Cleveland (A) Area Port Director Eugene Matho. “They are often our last line of defense, and because of their skill and dedication these dangerous drugs are not on our streets.”
