Teddy's Magic Mushrooms

FEBRUARY 1--No, this police evidence photo does not depict a stuffed animal found in the home of one of those creepy plushie devotees. Instead, these images show a teddy bear that had been altered by drug traffickers to house 11 bags of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

The bear was recently seized by Florida investigators and submitted to crime lab technicians at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO). An examination of the stuffed animal revealed that a seam had been cut open and the bear was re-stuffed with the dried brown mushrooms.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, which has shared the teddy bear images with other law enforcement agencies, has noted, "This is the first instance of a controlled substance concealed in a teddy bear submitted to the PBSO Crime Laboratory."

The cuddly teddy bear joins Mr. Potato Head, Tickle Me Elmo, and actual puppies as inventive vessels for illegal narcotics. (3 pages)