Columbus police were just trying to be helpful. That’s their story anyway.
Early Tuesday, officers received a call from a Columbus resident saying a large amount of marijuana had mistakenly been delivered.
After picking up the 5½ pounds of shrink-wrapped pot, officers decided the best way to determine the intended recipient of the drugs was to send out a late-morning message on social media, through Twitter and Facebook.
Saying they were holding the marijuana for the owner, officers invited the intended recipient to stop in at the police station to pick it up.
“If you are missing your drugs, feel free to swing by the front desk at the Columbus Police Department and speak to the nice officer working at the front desk,” the social media posting said.
Officers suggested that it would be good for the intended recipient to bring some ID when claiming his or her misdirected package. While the offer still stands, no one has shown up to claim the marijuana as of Wednesday morning.
The street value of the marijuana is estimated at nearly $30,000, Harris said.
The police department’s Twitter feed went so ballistic that police had to shut off notifications for a time, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.
While police had a little tongue-in-cheek fun with the idea of someone actually walking in and claiming the marijuana, they are investigating how the package got to Columbus, Harris said.
Police believe the drugs came from out of state but aren’t releasing details about what service made the delivery.
Police also aren’t revealing if the package had the correct address of the recipient, which — if true — would make the investigation easier.
It’s not the first time that a mistake such as a wrong address or a package delivered to the wrong house has resulted in drugs being confiscated, Harris said.
“It doesn’t happen that often, but it does happen,” Harris said.
