Not-so-holy candle found stuffed with crystal meth
A religious candle that was stopped at a U.S. Customs mail facility in Ontario weighed a little too much for its size, authorities said, and, upon further inspection, it was found to contain 1.5 pounds of crystal methamphetamine.
The package was sent from Mexico along with a boy’s suit, “a decoy,” according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman Laura Lee, and was headed for Mill Spring, N.C., when it was inspected.
On Aug. 3, the package was passed through an X-ray machine, which revealed a cavity within the candle. When inspectors picked it up, it weighed too much for any normal wax candle, Lee said.
Officers cut out the bottom and pried out a wrapped stash of crystal meth worth an estimated $23,000, officials said.
“Our officers are very mindful of an individual’s property, including spiritual items, yet they remain focused on keeping dangerous drugs off the streets of our community,” said Mitchell Merriam, the agency’s port director in Los Angeles.
The items were given to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an investigation into the intended recipient of the package is ongoing, Lee said.
Last month, border protection officers found 11 pounds of methamphetamine inside the lining of a woman’s suitcase at Los Angeles International Airport.
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