Drugs in turntables and washing machines
On 1 May 2020, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Cincinnati airport inspected a shipment originating from Mexico destined for Prague.
The package contained a DJ Pioneer turntable. After examining the rusty, broken item and probing what appeared to be the battery wrapped in black electrical tape, they discovered 0.9 kg of a white powder which tested positive for cocaine.
The month before, their colleagues at Miami airport made similar experiences, intercepting almost 32 kg of marijuana (street value USD 60,000).
The four different shipments of contraband originated from the southeastern region of the USA and were destined for Antigua, Dominica and St. Maarten. In one shipment, 22 blocks marijuana weighing 19.7 kg were concealed within the frame and body of a washer. (ah)