Man arrested at Portland airport after marijuana found in checked luggage
A New York passenger was taken into custody at Portland International Airport after TSA discovered nearly 30 pounds of marijuana in his checked bag, leading to felony charges.
Portland International Airport police detained a 38-year-old New York man after Transportation Security Administration screeners found a vacuum-sealed bag containing multiple smaller bags of marijuana in his checked suitcase. The luggage, marked "Primus/Zachar," was bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport on Alaska Airlines Flight AS18.
Surveillance footage showed the passenger, identified as Zachariah Hillary Primus of Carmel, New York, checking the bag before boarding. Although he had already boarded the aircraft, which was still on the runway, Alaska Airlines staff paged him back to the terminal where he was arrested.
Court documents indicate the suitcase held approximately 256 ounces of marijuana. On July 2, Primus was arraigned on three felony counts: illegal import or export of marijuana, unlawful delivery of a marijuana item, and unlawful possession of marijuana. He was released on his own recognizance pending a further hearing scheduled for July 30.
