A south suburban man is accused of transporting 350 pounds of marijuana tucked inside buckets of frozen strawberries.
Chicago Police say narcotics division officers began investigating after learning of a drug trafficking pipeline on the Southeast Side of the city. The drugs were believed to be destined for gangs in the 80 Street, St. Lawrence and 83rd and Commercial areas.
A surveillance sting uncovered a rental truck filled with buckets frozen strawberries, and the K9 unit soon discovered the drugs inside, according to police.
Martin Rosas, 41, of Dolton, faces a felony charge of possessing more than 5,000 grams of cannabis. More drugs and a handgun were also recovered from a Dolton home, along with several hundred more buckets of marijuana-filled frozen strawberries at a South Side warehouse.
Police say the total haul amounted to 2,500 pounds of cannabis compressed in more than 1,000 buckets of frozen strawberries. The drugs have an estimated street value of $6.8 million.
