Meth hidden in stuffed toy dog, Border Patrol agents say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The keen nose of a dog with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered last week a stuffed animal in the back of a car was no play toy.
The CBP said in a news release that agents at an immigration checkpoint on Highway 78 near Blythe, Calif., were alerted Wednesday by a canine to an odor detected in a Dodge Challenger, prompting a second inspection.
When agents did a further search of the vehicle, they discovered nearly five packages of methamphetamine that weighed nearly 2 pounds in a stuffed toy dog on the backseat.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found nearly 2 pounds of methamphetamine in a stuffed toy dog. (CBP Arizona)
In addition to the toy discovery, officials also found three small bags of meth in the passenger's purse.
"Combined, the drugs were worth almost $6,000," the agency said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found nearly 2 pounds of methamphetamine in a stuffed toy dog. (CBP Arizona)
The two U.S. citizens were arrested, and the drugs and vehicle "were processed in accordance with Yuma Sector guidelines."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The checkpoint was in an area where border agents routinely combat smuggling organizations in southwestern Arizona and California.