Fake fruit, real consequences: Border agents uncover £4m meth haul

US border services recorded another attempt to smuggle drugs across the border with Mexico. This time, the smugglers used an extraordinarily clever method – they disguised methamphetamine in fake watermelons that were meant to look like real fruit. The value of the intercepted drugs is over £4 million.

The incident occurred in Otay Mesa, one of the main border crossings near San Diego. During a routine check, officers noticed a 29-year-old truck driver carrying watermelons. The driver's somewhat unusual behaviour, and certain discrepancies in the shipping documentation raised their suspicions. Consequently, they decided to conduct a more thorough vehicle inspection.

During the second, more detailed inspection, officers discovered 1,220 fake watermelons among the transported fruit. These contained nearly 2,000 kilograms of methamphetamine, whose value is estimated at over £4 million.

The truck driver was detained. The US Department of Homeland Security took over the further investigation.

Rosa Hernandez, the director of the port in Otay Mesa, emphasised that the method of hiding the drugs was extremely advanced.

I am incredibly proud of our team for their exceptional work over the past few weeks in uncovering sophisticated and diverse smuggling methods, Hernandez stated.

The director of the port in Otay Mesa also noted that drug cartels continually succeed in developing new smuggling techniques, which poses a challenge for border protection services.

The watermelon incident is not the first at the Otay Mesa crossing. Just a week earlier, CBP officers foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly 300 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in... a shipment of celery. The value of this batch of drugs was estimated at around £600,000.

Robert J. Murphy, a special agent of the DEA responsible for the operation, emphasised that such a large quantity of drugs being sent such a long distance from the border demonstrates the confidence of Mexican cartels. In his opinion, criminals believe their smuggling methods are effective enough to allow for massive shipments without fear of detection.

Both instances of smuggler apprehensions are part of a broader operation named "Operation Apollo," which was launched in October. This programme aims to combat fentanyl smuggling into the United States by intensifying intelligence gathering and cooperation with various agencies at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels. This operation was expanded from California to Arizona in April, further strengthening efforts to counter drug smuggling.