CBP Officers Read Past The Ruse, Find Cocaine In Books & Brandy
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection said they seized over 17 pounds of cocaine from a passenger arriving from Peru at Miami International Airport on Thursday.
According to CBP, officers noticed a strong odor emanating from the passenger's luggage.
When officers examined the contents of the luggage, they said they discovered irregular stitching in the jackets and purses. They said further inspection of those items revealed multiple black plastic packages containing a white powder which later tested positive for cocaine.
Besides finding cocaine inside the jackets and purses, CBP said they found more of the powdery drug inside books and pillows as well as liquid cocaine concealed in bottles of brandy.
CBP arrested the passenger and turned over all evidence to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.
"This seizure is an excellent example of our CBP officers' tenacity," said Miami International Airport Port Director Christopher Maston. "They have great intuition and work ferociously to find hidden narcotics being smuggled into the U.S. We are proud of their dedication to the mission."
In June, CBP officers arrested a passenger arriving from Jamaica who was allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine inside fried fish.