Authorities in Chicago are looking for a suspect who was seen stealing marijuana from a "cannabis amnesty box" at Midway Airport. The boxes were installed after Illinois legalized recreational weed as a way for travelers to dispose of their drugs before boarding their flight.
While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, state officials said they would not prosecute anybody in possession of marijuana at the airport as long as they are not breaking state law. Instead, passengers are asked to dispose of their weed inside the amnesty boxes to avoid any issues while traveling.
Earlier in the week, the TSA found a passenger in possession of marijuana and he was instructed to drop the drugs into the box. When officers went to empty it a couple of hours later, they discovered the weed was missing.
They reviewed surveillance footage, which captured the suspect reaching into the box and pulling something out. They believe the suspect had just landed at the airport and promptly left after removing the item from the bin. Authorities do not know how he managed to gain access to the box and said that it should have been locked.
It is against the law the tamper with the boxes or remove anything from inside of them. Officials said the current boxes are only temporary and they are working on installing permanent boxes that will be more secure.
"In the meantime, new, permanent theft prevention boxes are expected to replace the temporary ones in the coming weeks, making them more secure and preventing anyone from further accessing materials dropped inside," Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
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