Pot hidden in shipment of bell peppers

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NOGALES, Ariz., March 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection said authorities arrested a 35-year-old Mexican man accused of hiding more than a ton of marijuana among bell peppers.

Customs officials said the man's tractor trailer was pulled over for inspection Tuesday at the Nogales Commercial Facility after crossing the border into Arizona when a drug-sniffing dog detected the presence of contraband, KVOA-TV, Tucson, Ariz., reported Thursday.

Investigators discovered 280 packages of marijuana, together weighing more than a ton, worth an estimated $1,068,000, KPHO-TV, Phoenix, reported. The drugs were hidden inside a shipment of bell peppers.

The drugs and truck were seized and the suspect, whose name was not released, was turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations agents.