Apr 16, 2002
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - An 85-foot drug tunnel that was strung with bare light
bulbs and ended near a parking lot used by Customs Service employees was
discovered underneath the Mexican border.
The tunnel, found on Monday, is the 12th discovered in Nogales since 1995,
and the second in the border city to run directly beneath the international
boundary.
No drugs were found inside the tunnel, which was reinforced with
two-by-fours, Customs spokesman Roger Maier said.
Investigators believe smugglers punched a hole through the asphalt and would
pass narcotics up into a waiting vehicle, then seal the hole with an asphalt
plug.
The tunnel ran just below the asphalt surface of the parking lot. Rain may
have weakened the structure because a security guard noticed a slight depression
in the pavement over the weekend and saw a tiny hole that opened to a larger
cavity, Maier said.
AP-ES-04-16-02 1252EDT
This story can be found at : http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGABIO3040D.htmlDrug Tunnel Found in Arizona Under Parking Lot Used by Customs
Workers
The Associated Press