Police arrest 3 men suspected of shipping opium poppy by mail in Spain and to U.S.
CBSN
Three men were arrested in Spain last month for allegedly shipping dried opium poppy capsules by mail across Spain and to the United States. In:
Three men were arrested in Spain last month for allegedly shipping dried opium poppy capsules by mail across Spain and to the United States.
The Spanish Civil Guard said Saturday that the three men were arrested in January and have remained in custody since. They were charged with crimes against public health for drug trafficking.
According to police, the investigation began last September after four postal shipments containing nearly 15.4 pounds of plant-based substances were intercepted at the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport.
Analysis determined that the substance was "Papaver somniferum," also known as opium poppy, a plant directly linked to the production of opium and its derivatives, the statement said.
Investigators noted that the same surname was used on all the shipments, both for the senders and recipients. It was also verified that all the packages had been sent from different addresses, located in the municipality of Los Alcázares, in the Murcia region.

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