PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. -- Police in Virginia are warning parents that teenagers have found a new way to hide drugs in plain sight.
Photo of a "diversion can" (SOURCE: Prince William County Police Department)
What appears to be a can of soda sitting in your teen’s bedroom or vehicle, could actually be what police call a "diversion can."
Prince William police said teens are using the cans, which have a removable lid and are weighted to feel full, to stash drugs or money.
Officers are telling parents to be on the lookout for objects like these since some were recovered during the department's “Operation Growing Pains” bust.
"All too often our narcotic officers encounter juveniles that are without jobs yet have large amounts of cash," read a post on the Prince William Police Department Facebook page. "As a parent, if your child appears to have a new source of income or is buying things on a routine basis without your assistance, it may be a sign they are selling drugs."
Police said suspicions parents should consider reading the texts on their children's cellphones or searching their rooms for evidence like "diversion cans."
WJLA reports “Operation Growing Pains,” a months-long effort to rid drug dealers from high school, led to nearly two-dozen arrests earlier this month.
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