Cash, $3 million, found in barrels of raw pork

Money laundering meets bacon?

The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office in Shelby, N.C. say they seized approximately $3 million in cash, wrapped in plastic, which is displayed in this photo near the barrels of raw pork shoulder in which it was discovered.

North Carolina deputies recovered the barrels Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, from a tractor trailer they pulled over.

"It's one of the largest U.S. currency seizures in Cleveland County history," Sheriff Alan Norman told The Shelby Star.

Authorities say they believe the money was headed to drug cartels in Mexico, proceeds from drug sales in North Carolina.

The Department of Justice has been called to assist in the investigation, AP reports.

Approximately $3 million in cash was recovered from the barrels Saturday, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Tuesday. The driver of the tractor trailer was accused of failing to maintain his lane and impeding the flow of traffic on Interstate 85.

(IMAGES: Cleveland County Sheriff's Office)