PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A man was removed from a flight at Portland International Airport after investigators said a significant amount of marijuana was found in his checked luggage. He now faces multiple felony charges.
According to Port of Portland Police, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners flagged the piece of checked luggage on Tuesday.
Officers said they found a large vacuum-sealed bag containing 24 smaller black plastic bags. One of the bags contained marijuana buds.
Police said the bags containing marijuana weighed about 30 pounds. However, a probable cause affidavit did not specify the exact weight of the drugs.
Officers traced the luggage to 38-year-old Zachariah Primus, who had already boarded an Alaska Airlines flight bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Primus was instructed to return to the gate, where Port of Portland police arrested him.
He was booked into the Multnomah County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.
Primus is charged with illegal import or export of marijuana items, unlawful delivery of a marijuana item and unlawful possession of marijuana.
According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Primus possessed more than 256 ounces (16 pounds) of usable marijuana .
This is the third marijuana seizure at Portland International Airport that FOX 12 has reported on since May.
On May 3, police arrested a man accused of attempting to take 50 pounds of marijuana on a flight.
Then, on May 7, Port of Portland police said they found another 57 pounds of marijuana hidden inside superglued bags in a passenger’s checked luggage. The woman told investigators she did not know what was inside the bags and said she had been paid to transport them.
Primus was arraigned Thursday. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.
FOX 12 has asked Portland International Airport officials whether they have noticed an uptick in marijuana-related cases in recent months. We expect to receive a response after the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
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