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    Pot smuggling arrests soar at LA airport

    by Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times May 16, 2019 5 minutes

    LOS ANGELES - Michael Vechell had already drawn the attention of an airline worker and two passengers at Los Angeles International Airport by the time he was confronted by police.

    Waiting to board his Philadelphia-bound flight with his dog, Odie, Vechell had sparked concern when he sidled up to another passenger and asked if she wanted to join his "drug smuggling ring," authorities say.

    Although Vechell told LAX police it was just a misunderstanding, officers demanded to see his checked baggage. Inside, they found nearly 70 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana bundled into packages labeled "T-shirts," "cold weather" and "sexy pants."

    More than a year after California legalized the recreational use of cannabis, trafficking arrests like Vechell's have surged 166% at LAX, according to arrest records obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

    Emboldened by legalization and facing only light punishment if captured,

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