Republished May 11, 2016 - 4:40 PM
Original Publication Date May 11, 2016 - 9:40 AM
CHICAGO - Customs officials seized nearly 70 pounds of opium from three Minnesota women arriving at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on a flight from Southeast Asia.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say the three women arrived at about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday on a flight from Laos, via Japan. Officers found 470 packets of opium concealed in bags of tea leaves and packed inside the women's luggage.
Chicago police say the drugs are worth more than $3 million.
Police arrested the women, identified as 57-year-old Pa Yang and 58-year-old Mai Vue Vang of St. Paul, Minnesota, and 52-year-old True Thao of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. They're each charged with manufacturing or delivery of narcotics. At a hearing Wednesday, each woman's bond was set at $50,000.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016