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Flying high: Police say passenger pulled off airplane at PDX after pot found in luggage
byJeff Kirsch
Fri, July 3, 2026 at 9:04 AM
A TSA officer helps a traveler at Portland International Airport on Friday, March 27, 2026. (KATU)
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A New York man was unable to complete his flight back East after authorities found a large amount of marijuana inside his checked luggage at Portland International Airport.
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According to court documents, Port of Portland police responded to PDX on Tuesday, June 30, after TSA screeners discovered marijuana in a checked suitcase.
Prosecutors say the suitcase contained a large vacuum-sealed bag with several smaller black plastic bags weighing nearly 30 pounds and containing marijuana buds.
The suitcase was labeled "Primus/Zachar" and was destined for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Alaska Airlines Flight AS18.
Officers determined the suspect, later identified as Zachariah Hillary Primus, 38, of Carmel, New York, had already boarded the flight, but the plane was still on the runway.
Alaska Airlines agents paged Primus back to the terminal, where he was taken into custody.
According to court documents, surveillance video showed Primus arriving at the airport and checking the suitcase.
Primus was arraigned Thursday, July 2, on three felony charges: illegal import or export of marijuana, unlawful delivery of a marijuana item and unlawful possession of marijuana.
According to the indictment, Primus was in possession of more than 256 ounces of usable marijuana.
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He was released on his own recognizance pending his next court hearing on July 30.
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Flying high: Police say passenger pulled off airplane at PDX after pot found in luggage\
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A New York man did not get to complete his flight back East after a large amount of marijuana was found inside his checked luggage at PDX. 
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