U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it has arrested a Mississauga, Ont. man in connection with an attempt to smuggle the drug ecstasy into the United States.
On Sunday, the man was attempting to enter the U.S. at the Peace Bridge border crossing in Buffalo, the agency said Tuesday in a news release.
He presented a passport and said he planned to spend the day shopping at a local mall. Officers selected him for what the agency terms a secondary enforcement exam.
"During the course of the secondary vehicle inspection, a CBP narcotics detector dog demonstrated a positive alert to the rear bumper area of the vehicle," it said.
Officers then conducted a manual search.
They found two black garbage bags held inside the rear bumper using black tape and wire.
"The garbage bags were found to contain six clear plastic bags of multi-coloured tablets, which later field-tested positive for MDMA (ecstasy)," it said.
A total of 30,160 tablets were seized, weighing approximately nine kilograms. The agency puts the estimated street value at about US$600,000.
Ecstasy is popular among the dance-club set.
Anthony Ighodaro, 29, has been charged with importation and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The case is now in the hands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Prosecution will be handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York, the agency said.
