Police: 266 pounds of pot in load of steel beams

[April 08, 2011]  CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Authorities say a North Carolina man is facing drug trafficking charges, accused of accepting a delivery of 266 pounds of marijuana packed in a shipment of steel beams.

The Gaston Gazette reported Thursday that the pallet of a half dozen 8-square-inch beams had been welded shut and sent from Brownsville, Texas, to a shipping company in Charlotte. Authorities say the drug was detected by a canine unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Gaston County Police arranged for an undercover officer to deliver the pallet to the address on the package. Police say Carson David Hyde of Charlotte was arrested after accepting the shipment April 1. Police said Hyde's name was on shipping papers.

Hyde was jailed in Gaston County. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.