Cocaine-stuffed pumpkins. Photograph courtesy of the CBSA
As Halloween was celebrated around the world last night, pumpkins were being hollowed-out and carved into a variety of scary shapes and faces, but Mercedes Jerez Farias is accused of using pumpkins for an entirely different purpose – smuggling cocaine.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) discovered three pumpkins being transported by Farias at Montréal-Trudeau Airport were stuffed with nearly 2kg of suspected cocaine when the large fruit showing odd masses when scanned through security. The drugs were then transported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police office for further investigation.
CBSA Regional Director General for the Quebec Region Benoît Chiquette said
“Border services officers work tirelessly to intercept narcotics regardless how they are hidden. This seizure helps eradicate narcotics from our community by stopping potential traffickers from using our international airports for their illicit cross-border activities.”
