(RightIsRight.co) – Marking one of the largest drug busts of its kind, authorities in Atlanta uncovered over 2,300 pounds of methamphetamine stashed within a shipment of celery at a farmers’ market.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the massive haul was seized at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park.
Robert Murphy, the DEA’s Atlanta special agent in charge, explained that they had received intel about a truck transporting methamphetamine to the market.
“This was contained within a cover load of celery. That was what was hiding it,” Murphy stated at a news conference.
He added with a touch of irony, “Obviously, we threw away the celery.”
Furthermore, authorities noted that smugglers have increasingly used produce to conceal drugs.
Just earlier this year, six tons of meth were found hidden in a shipment of green squash in California, and nearly two tons of cocaine were discovered among avocados in Colombia. The fate of the squash and avocados remains unclear.
A Mexican citizen, Jesus Martinez Martinez, was arrested in connection with the Atlanta bust, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.
In addition, the Atlanta State Farmers Market, described on its website as “a major marketing hub and distribution point for fresh produce in the southeast and throughout the country,” boasts a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor.
One reviewer even praised its “various selection of products.”
Georgia’s agriculture commissioner, Tyler Harper, emphasized the seriousness of the situation, saying, “[The market] is the produce terminal for the United States and if drugs are moving through there, there is a possibility of contamination, and we know that, so it’s important we keep our consumers safe.”
He also sent a stern warning to those misusing agriculture as a cover for criminal activities:
“We’re sending this message loud and clear to those who want to use agriculture as a means to an end, as a cover for criminal activity: you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will go to prison.”
Copyright 2024, RightIsRight.co
