Shipping Containers Used as Drug Mules in $9M Bust

Online, October 7, 2010 (Newswire.com) - KANSAS CITY, MO. (October 7, 2010) - The National Portable Storage Association (NPSA), a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry, congratulates Vancouver police for a successful drug bust. Vancouver police seized more than $9 million in drugs stored in seven shipping containers coming from Mexico.

"The NPSA is vigilant to keep a close eye on container scams. Many of our members have reported people calling from countries like Africa or Mexico wanting to buy containers with stolen credits cards," said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director of the NPSA. "Unfortunately, containerized storage does carry an element of crime from nefarious gangsters who transport drugs and steal identities. The NPSA works with law enforcement agencies to keep consumers and vendors safe."

Consumers building meth labs is not unusual in the traditional self-storage business, but less common on the portable storage industry. In the Vancouver portable storage incident, three Mexican nationals were using them to transport cocaine and meth. Specifically, the men allegedly smuggled 275 kilos of the drugs baked into garden fountains and paving stones.

"The NPSA continues to monitor fraud through our STAR database on the financial side," said Joel Rathbone, Operations Manager at the NPSA. "And we appreciate the work law enforcement is doing to ensure portable storage containers are not used for illegal purposes. The work of the Vancouver police is to be applauded."

The National Portable Storage Association
The National Portable Storage Association is dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. We at the NPSA are here to serve those in the portable storage industry who rent, sell or lease containers, trailers and mobile offices. The NPSA assists members with industry, regulatory and workforce issues; plus, offers members networking, marketing and legislative support at national, state and local levels.

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