Picture this: you've had a rough day and reckon a nice stroll on along the beach will do you some good. You enjoy the sand between your toes and breathe in the rich, salt air and try to relax.
Then imagine as you're walking you come across 35 kilograms of cocaine casually washed up on the shore. What do you do?
One beachgoer in Florida was confronted with this scenario last week and immediately reported it to the police (although probably not knowing for certain that it was the illegal substance).
Thirty packages washed up on Hollywood Beach in Florida and were seized by the US Border Patrol, who determined the drugs weighed up to around $1 million in street value.
On Monday, a beachgoer discovered 30 packages with 78 lbs. of cocaine that washed-up at #Hollywood Beach #Florida. Miami Sector #BorderPatrol Agents seized the narcotics, valued at over 1 million dollars. Thankfully, the 78 lbs. of drugs didn't make it into our community. pic.twitter.com/34Fk53RhaT
- Chief Patrol Agent John R. Modlin (@USBPChiefMIP) August 26, 2020
Chief Patrol Agent of US Border Patrol Miami Sector John Modlin told CNN that there have been loads of packages wash ashore in Florida and they believe traffickers are using the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Keys to transport drugs.
"These recent seizures represent hundreds of pounds of narcotics that will not make it into our streets or into our communities. We are grateful for the community's support to our border security mission here in Florida," he said.
In total, there have been nearly 100kgs of cocaine seized between July and August in the same area.
It seems this type of thing happens a lot and it can be a massive payday for authorities if they can seize the drugs before anyone stumbles across it.
Last year, more than 760kg (1,657lb) of cocaine washed up on beaches in southwest France over several few weeks.
The parcels were said to be worth around £52 million (€60m) have been found on several beaches, including Capbreton and Le Porge.
The prosecutor's office of the city of Rennes said: "Suspect packages have been found on all beaches... from the Loire-Atlantique department down to the Landes department." The Landes department is a stretch of coast measuring more than 500km.
Police have launched an investigation into where the drugs could have come from, with authorities in Rennes saying the cocaine is particularly pure and harmful. French media reported that two people were out for a walk on Friday when they found a 3kg (6.6lb) parcel and alerted the police.
Cops have told anyone who comes across any other suspicious packages not to touch them and to call police. Anyone considering touching or tampering with the packages has been warned there's a risk of a 10-year jail sentence.
Featured Image Credit: US Border Patrol
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