U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers reported seizing a combined 179 pounds marijuana from an international shipping service facility in Delaware County last month that was headed for London.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 179 pounds of marijuana destined for London last month from a Delaware County facility. CBP reports seeing an uptick in U.S. growers hoping to expand profits by selling in Europe and Africa. (Courtesy CBP)

Officers inspecting exports Nov. 13 found 24 parcels containing marijuana for a combined weight of 101 pounds and 6 ounces, according to a release. Another 28 parcels weighting a total 78 pounds were discovered at the same facility six days later.

All had been shipped from different addresses in California to multiple addresses in the U.K.

CBP estimated the street value in America at $780,000, but noted it could go for two or three times that overseas, depending on potency.

“These seizures should send a message that exporting marijuana, or any other illicit commodity, is both an illegal endeavor and poses a significant risk of failure,” said Cleatus Hunt, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Philadelphia, in the release. “Despite their failures, nefarious organizations continue to test Customs and Border Protection officers’ expertise in hunting their illicit shipments because smugglers are driven by greed. Our message remains the same: If you keep sending it, we’ll keep seizing it.”

Hunt’s comments were not mere bluster: this was the fourth such large-scale marijuana seizure bound for the United Kingdom that CBP had taken in locally just in the last couple of months.

In the first two weeks of November, Philly CBP made two other seizures for a combined 343 pounds of marijuana in one instance and an additional combined 170 pounds in the other.

Women from California and Nevada were arrested at Philadelphia International Airport in October allegedly trying to fly to London with another 114 pounds of marijuana.

A Texas woman was also just arrested last week at Dulles International Airport with nearly 72 pounds of marijuana. She was also London-bound.

Four other people were arrested at San Diego International Airport in October after also allegedly trying to smuggle some 150 pounds of marijuana to London.

“Federal law prohibits transporting marijuana across state lines or exporting it from the United States,” the release states. “However, CBP is observing a continuing trend of United States-based growers, retailers, and criminal organizations shipping or transporting marijuana to Europe and Africa where high-quality weed can fetch prices many times higher than in the U.S.”