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$1.5M In Illegal Cash Seized This Year

The federal government says a Columbus-based investigations task force has seized more than $1.5 million so far this year from criminal activities. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's homeland security division created the bulk cash smuggling task force in 2012 to intercept money from criminal activity. This year, the Columbus task force has seized more than 6,500 grams of heroin and nearly 5,000 grams of cocaine. Overall, it has taken more than $4.6 million in criminal assets during the two and half years since it launched. Ohio ranks fourth in the country in law enforcement interception of criminal proceeds. Officials say one explanation for that is because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest and has a large and well-developed highway network.