BAKU, Azerbaijan — Azerbaijani customs officers seized nearly 80 kilograms of marijuana hidden in a vegetable shipment carried by a truck traveling from Iran to Russia, authorities said.
The vehicle was stopped for inspection at the Astara customs post on Azerbaijan’s southern border, according to the State Customs Committee.
Customs officers first sent the truck through a stationary X-ray scanner and then searched the cargo with the assistance of a trained detection dog.
Drugs Disguised as Celery
During the inspection, officers found 230 concealed packages made to resemble celery and placed among a shipment of lettuce and celery, the committee said.
The seized marijuana had a net weight of 79 kilograms and 740 grams.
The State Customs Committee said an investigation is underway. Authorities have not released information about any people detained in the case, the alleged organizer of the shipment or its intended recipient.
The seizure remains under investigation, and the available official account does not identify who owned the drugs or establish criminal responsibility for the shipment.