EL CENTRO, Calif. (AP) — Authorities in Southern California have arrested a man they say tried to smuggle more than 2 pounds (1 kilogram) of opium paste by taping it to his buttocks.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say drug-sniffing dogs zeroed in on the 28-year-old man's SUV last week at a checkpoint along a rural Imperial County freeway north of the Mexican border.
Spokesman Jose Enriquez Jr. says agents discovered opium paste strapped to the man's buttocks under his pants and above his underwear.
The paste contains up to 12 percent morphine, which is frequently used to produce heroin.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the drug's estimated street value is more than $70,000.