Border cops nab Cheese Smuggler
PHOENIX,
Arizona (Reuters) - Puzzled U.S. border
police arrested a Mexican smuggler with 88 pounds
(40-kg) of cheese hidden in a special compartment
in his truck, police said on Friday.
Customs and Border Protection spokesman Roger
Maier said officers at the port of entry in Columbus,
New Mexico, referred a Chevrolet pickup for a
routine secondary examination on Wednesday.
Officers using an X-ray machine saw the outline
of 16 bulky packages stashed in a secret compartment
behind the seat, which they initially believed
were packets containing illicit drugs.
"Generally if you see something (with the
X-ray machine) you expect it to be narcotics,
but this turned out to be cheese," Maier
told Reuters by telephone.
Officers regularly impound drugs including marijuana,
heroin and cocaine at border crossings from Mexico,
although Maier said the smuggled cheese haul was
unusual.
"It looks like it was destined for people
who wanted a taste of the old country," he
added.
Police arrested the 38-year-old driver, seized
the cheese and confiscated the truck because he
failed to declare his cargo.
In 2003, border police in the area impounded nearly
800 pounds (360 kg) of bologna as it was being
smuggled across the border from Mexico.