Smugglers Secretly Secure Pot to Border-Crossing Car

Authorities seized about 30 pounds of marijuana Friday that apparently was ferried across the U.S.-Mexico border by a motorist who was unaware it had been attached to the underside of her car by wily traffickers.

The driver, a resident of Mexico who has a job in downtown San Diego, reported finding the contraband underneath her vehicle about 4 a.m., after arriving at her workplace, according to police.

The 33-year-old woman told officers she had gotten to work early and was sitting in her car when two men approached and began doing something underneath it, SDPD public-affairs Lt. Kevin Mayer said. When they saw her, they ran off, got into a nearby black sedan and drove off.

The woman then realized that about a half-dozen packages had been secured to the undercarriage of her car with strong magnets. She notified police and told them that she had been unaware of the presence of the bundles, which turned out to contain marijuana.

“It appears the woman unknowingly transported the marijuana across the border,” Mayer said, adding that there had been no arrests in the case as of late afternoon.

Before crossing the international line, motorists should check to make sure their vehicles are free of illegal items and prohibited substances, the lieutenant said.

-City News Service