More than 2,300 pounds of methamphetamine found hidden under celery at Atlanta farmers market | Drugs

More than 2,300 pounds of methamphetamine were discovered hidden in a load of celery at a farmers market in Atlanta, authorities said.

The seizure, which the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said was one of the largest of its kind, was made at the Atlanta Farmers Market in Forest Park.

The DEA had “developed information” about a truck carrying methamphetamine into the market, Robert Murphy, the DEA’s special agent in Atlanta, said at a news conference Monday.

“It was contained in a celery blanket. That’s what hid it,” Murphy said.

“Obviously we threw out the celery.”

Traffickers frequently use fresh produce to hide drugs, authorities say. In May, six tons of methamphetamine were found hidden in a shipment of green squash in California, while in March, nearly two tons of cocaine were hidden among avocados in Colombia. It is unclear what happened to the squash and avocados.

A Mexican citizen, Jesus Martinez Martinez, was arrested, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

According to its website, the Atlanta State Farmers Market is “a major marketing and distribution center for fresh produce in the Southeast and throughout the country.” The market has a 4.5-star rating on Trip Advisor, with one reviewer praising its “diverse selection of produce.”

“(The market) is the manufacturing terminal of the United States and if drugs are moving through there, there is a risk of contamination, and we know that, so it’s important that we protect our consumers,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper told Fox 5.

“We are sending a clear message to those who want to use agriculture as a means to an end, as a cover for criminal activities: you will be caught, you will be prosecuted and you will go to jail.”