Suspicious-smelling packages spur police investigation in Pennsylvania

Article content

Workers at a FedEx office in Wyomissing, Penn. got both an eyeful and a nose full after receiving some skunky-smelling packages and deciding to open them.

Article content

Inside the two packages received on June 6 was what appeared to be bulk weed that came from Florida and was destined for a resident in nearby Berks County.

Weed is legal for medicinal use in both Florida and Pennsylvania, but recreational cannabis remains off-limits.

Knowing something was up, FedEx staff notified the Wyomissing Police Department about the stinky find, which responding officers could easily smell for themselves upon arrival.

The two boxes held a total of 22-vacuumed sealed bags, each containing about 450 grams of suspected weed, according to a statement from police. All totalled, it was estimated the cannabis had a street value of about $62,500.

Article content

Officers opted to set up surveillance of the store and wait for the intended recipient to arrive. The 22-year-old suspect did so by vehicle at about 2 p.m.

Officers conducted a traffic stop and the man was taken into custody for outstanding scofflaw warrants, defined by MyLawQuestions as someone who repeatedly and knowingly violates the law, or ignores legal summons.

A search warrant for the vehicle was executed, revealing more suspected cannabis, a handgun owned by the man and about $2,025 in cash.

The driver has been charged with possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, carrying a firearm without a licence, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended licence and windshield obstructions, the police report.

Article content

Possessing more than 30 grams of cannabis in Pennsylvania is a misdemeanour charge punishable by a year in jail and a $6,250 fine, notes information from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Being convicted of selling or distributing more than 30 grams of weed, however, is a felony charge that carries up to five years in prison and a $18,750 fine.

After the vehicle search, the man was taken for immediate arraignment and has since been committed to Berks County Jail.

Sending cannabis by mail is anything but new. It has proved fairly commonplace for officers, both canines and the human kind, to sniff out the illegal goods in countries around the world, including in Ireland, the U.S. and Canada.

Likewise, FedEx locations are no strangers to illegal cannabis. Among other U.S. locales, unanticipated discoveries of weed have been made in Louisiana, Maryland and Massachusetts.

Subscribe to Weekend Dispensary, a weekly newsletter from The GrowthOp.