A drug-sniffing dog helped federal officers find more than 30 pounds of opium-soaked cloth and wood chips in four packages from Laos Monday, according to U.S. Customs officials.
The dog, Shadow, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, found the materials in packages at the International Mail Facility near O’Hare International Airport Monday afternoon, according to a release from the agency. The drugs were estimated to be worth more than $489,000 on the street.
The invoice for the first package Shadow found, at 2:30 p.m. Monday, said its contents were “Hmong dresses” and was destined for Wisconsin, according to the release. When officers tested the 38 pieces of decorative cloth in the box, the 15 pounds of cloth tested positive for opium.
At 5:30 p.m., Shadow again pointed out a package from Laos, this one headed to Minnesota, which had 10 pieces of opium-saturated cloth, weighing almost 5 pounds, according to the release. In the next half-hour, the dog found two more packages.
The third box, listed on a shipping invoice as “traditional medicines” and headed to Wisconsin, had 38 bag of wood chips and leaves weighing more than 6 pounds, and the fourth, headed to Minnesota and also listed as “traditional medicines,” had 53 bags of twigs and wood shavings, weighing a little less than 5 pounds. Both tested positive for opium.
~ Courtesy of Chicago Tribune
Tags: dog finds drugs, dog finds opium, drug dog, drug sniffing dog
