GA Agriculture Commissioner details efforts to crack down on traffickers hiding drugs in produce

The Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia says his department is taking aggressive action to intercept drug shipments dropped off at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park.

Last week, the DEA Atlanta and its law enforcement partners seized a record-breaking 2,585 pounds of crystal methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of celery inside a tractor-trailer truck after it arrived at the market.

“I want our law enforcement and other teams here at the department to protect our food supply, to protect agriculture, producers, and to protect our families to ensure our food supply continues to stay safe,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said.

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Harper told Channel 2′s Tom Regan that his inspectors and others keep in close contact with federal, state, and local law enforcement to monitor, identify, and seize shipments of illegal drugs hidden in produce.

“Cartels have found that they can use agriculture to move their drug product. Whether it’s cocaine, meth, marijuana, you name it. We have been working those cases to address those issues,” Harper said.

DEA Atlanta said the truck from which the methamphetamine was seized was driven across from Mexico into the U.S. by an illegal immigrant.

Information agents obtained information that led them to the farmer’s market where the drugs were found and the driver arrested.

Commissioner Harper said one reason why cartels are hiding drug shipments in produce is the scent from produce masks the smell of drugs to drug-detecting dogs.

“It’s possible their noses could be thrown off by these products,” Harper said.

Authorities have seized drugs hidden in celery, peppers, bananas, and other produce.

The celery that the meth was hidden in was discarded.

Harper said he is unaware of an instance where produce at the market was contaminated by drugs.

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