Atlanta police say they found more than 170 pounds of marijuana in suitcases from an arriving flight

Four people were arrested and seven suitcases with more than 170 pounds of marijuana was seized after it arrived in Atlanta on a flight from Seattle last week, according to Atlanta police.

On May 26, an Atlanta Police Department K-9 dog alerted authorities to five suitcases that were unloaded from the flight and on their way to baggage claim, according to a news release from the department.

Officers detained four people who each took at least one of the bags. A search of those suitcases confirmed that they each contained marijuana, police said.

“Additionally, officers discovered two of the suspects each had an additional suitcase with them that also contained marijuana,” the release said.

“Ultimately, officers recovered 7 suitcases and a total of 174 pounds of marijuana, with an approximate street value of around $700,000.”

The four individuals were charged with trafficking marijuana and were all transported to the Clayton County Jail.

“In each case, the suspects claimed someone else had packed the bag or they were retrieving the bag for a different person,” police said.

“Our advice is never travel with a bag that is not yours or one that you do not know the contents of and think twice before agreeing to retrieve someone else’s bag from an airport baggage claim.”