Orlando police intercepted more than 200 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana in two separate busts at Orlando International Airport, both tied to direct domestic flights arriving from Los Angeles. In the May bust, 57.6 pounds were wrapped in blankets and stuffed with dryer sheets; in the July bust, 144.4 pounds were in suitcases with glued-shut locks.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, both shipments arrived on flights that came straight from Los Angeles International Airport, and police records indicate that smugglers are using ordinary domestic flights to move bulk marijuana into Central Florida. The New York Post reports that, per police records, the suspects attempted to bring hundreds of pounds of bulk marijuana from LAX into Central Florida.
Dryer Sheets, Blankets and a Dash to the Trash Can
In the first case, on May 7, officers found 57.6 pounds of marijuana packed inside 50 vacuum-sealed bags, wrapped in blankets and stuffed with dryer sheets in an apparent effort to mask the smell, the station’s report states. Police said Alvonte Cooper took two suitcases from baggage belt 30 and immediately ripped the airline luggage tags off the handles, tossing them in the trash.
Two months later, on July 1, officers made a second seizure, this time finding 144.4 pounds of marijuana packed across five target suitcases. The locks on those suitcases, per the same account, were completely glued shut.
Two Men in Their 20s Face Felony Charges
Police say both suspects are in their 20s. Avante Garrick, 25, faces felony charges for drug trafficking and bringing marijuana into Florida, while Alvonte Cooper, 22, faces felony charges for drug trafficking, importing marijuana and using commercial travel to commit a crime, the outlet reports…