An international drug smuggling syndicate was thwarted by cops recently.
According to reports, surfboards that were stuffed with cocaine were flagged by drug sniffing dogs as the smugglers attempted to fly them from Uruguay to Europe.
Six surfboards in total were seized; 110 pounds of cocaine were found in them.
Per the BBC, drug dogs alerted their handlers of the suspicious luggage on May 23rd. It was noted that the bags were also unusually heavy for surfboards. Upon further inspection with a scanner, officials found hidden compartments carved into the cores of the surfboards. Then, after probing those compartments, they found the coke.
To find the alleged smugglers, police let one of the surfboards go through. Then, they arrested two Italians in Portugal who picked up the drug-filled surfboard. Another Italian was arrested in Uruguay for dispatching the drugs in the board.
According to the Uruguayan prosecutor’s office, the operation was “a model of international co-operation.”
Of course, this is not the first time surfers have used their boards to transport illicit substances across borders. Like in the 70s, when surfers in Indonesia were smuggling hash oil in and out of the country in their boardbags, along with other such cases.
Although, back then, TSA was a bit more chill.
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