Mérida, Yucatán — A shipment of drugs disguised as a furniture move has been seized by federal officials. The seizure happened over the weekend when the small truck transporting furniture and boxes was stopped at a checkpoint along the Campeche-Merida federal highway.
An on-site narcotics dog sniffed out the armoire, which was one of two found stuffed with 450 kilograms of marijuana. An additional sniff located 15 kilos of crystal meth. The shipment, which was disguised as a personal move, left the State of Mexico bound for Quintana Roo.
Elements of the Ministry of Public Security made the checkpoint discovery. The drugs were found hidden between two the wardrobe closets and in cardboard boxes. The driver of the truck and his companion, both 38 years-of-age were arrested. The men were from Tabasco and Puebla respectively. The vehicle and its contents were seized upon their arrest.
Since their arrest, authorities have confirmed the simulated move to transport drugs into Quintana Roo was arranged by elements of the National Guard. Through a press release, the National Guard reported “in reference to the arrest of National Guard personnel on the Campeche-Mérida federal highway in the state of Yucatán, the institution confirms the facts and reliably rejects the actions of these two elements.”
The Internal Affairs Unit will collaborate with the corresponding authorities in the investigation to determine the responsibilities of these two men. In their statement, the National Guard also reiterated its rejection of any conduct that is far from the law and that damages the image of the institution.
“Let there be no doubt that elements who do not adhere to the framework of legality and unrestricted respect for human rights will be sanctioned by all legal and administrative channels,” they added in their statement.
