Customs agents in Cincinnati seized 44 pounds of cereal covered in cocaine instead of sugar

(CNN) — US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) seized a shipment of cereal from South America that was covered in cocaine instead of sugar.

CBP officers in Cincinnati, Ohio, intercepted the package on February 13 containing about 44 pounds of cocaine-coated corn flakes, which could have had a street value of up to $2,822,400, according to a news release.

While working on incoming freight from Peru, a CPD narcotic detector dog named Bico flagged the cereal shipment going to a private residence in Hong Kong. Upon further inspection, officers found and tested white powder on the cereal that was positive for cocaine.

“The men and women at the Port of Cincinnati are committed to stopping the flow of dangerous drugs, and they continue to use their training, intuition, and strategic skills to prevent these kinds of illegitimate shipments from reaching the public,” Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie said.

On a typical day in fiscal year 2020, CBP said it seized 3,677 pounds of drugs at ports of entry across the nation.

Drug traffickers have long used creative methods to try to ship cocaine.

In July, for example, police in Italy discovered cocaine stuffed inside individually hollowed-out coffee beans, after opening a parcel addressed to a fictional Mafia boss from a Hollywood movie.