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The Washington Township Police Department is investigating the case, believing the intruder was trying to take advantage of the Uber Eats package delivery service.
When police officers checked the package, they confirmed the driver’s suspicion. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
A delivery parcel by an Uber Eats driver for their customer took an unexpected turn when she discovered a bag of raw marijuana instead of the actual food. The incident happened on November 24, 2024, when the driver was driving from Lindenwold, Camden County to Glassboro. What the driver first thought was just a burrito, soup and a bottle of water became suspicious when a rather pungent smell came from the delivery bag. Frightened, the driver stopped the car and inspected the package.
Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik told 6 ABC: “She believed something didn’t smell right with her delivery package. She thought it smelled like marijuana”.
When police officers checked the package, they confirmed the driver’s suspicion. Gurcsik revealed the surprising contents: “There was no meat, lettuce, beans, or rice. It was actually an ounce of marijuana, wrapped crudely in tin foil and stored in a zip-closed bag.”
The Washington Township Police Department is investigating the case, believing the person was trying to take advantage of Uber Eats package delivery service with improper intention. The delivery policy of Uber has a clear statement about what cannot be delivered. The company does not allow the transportation of illicit substances, alcohol or medication.
“To anybody who utilizes Uber Eats or Uber as a way of transportation you always have to be cautious, you always have to be safe and keep that in the back of your mind,” Gurcsik told 6 ABC.
An Uber representative called the discovery “deeply disturbing” and praised the driver for alerting police to a suspicious delivery.
The drugs recovered have been taken as evidence while they try to track the drugs back to their source.
Cannabis for recreational use is legal in the state of New Jersey. It can be bought from any dispensary within the state by individuals above the age of 21 years. A study conducted at Rutgers University’s Centre of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies (CAS) shows that the black market for the drug remains active even when the substance is legal in a given state.
In a conversation with Newsweek, Gurcsik noted that despite New Jersey’s legal cannabis market, the illegal trade remains active due to several factors: The products in the black market are cheaper, untaxed and uncontrolled; the underage cannot access legal stores; there may be some customers who want products with higher THC content or quantity than those sold by licensed shops.
