Woman caught at Atlanta airport smuggling cocaine in shoes, officials say
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A 21-year-old Georgia woman is under arrest after officials say he tried to smuggle pounds of cocaine through Atlanta's airport hidden in the bottom of multiple pairs of shoes.
On Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say they decided to further inspect the bags of the unidentified 21-year-old who had been coming home from Jamaica through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
During the search, agents say they found seven pairs of shoes with white powder hidden in the shoe bottoms. Field tests determined the powder tested positive cocaine, authorities said.
"Smugglers go through great lengths to conceal drugs from our officers," said Paula Rivera, CBP port director for the Area Port of Atlanta. "Narcotics interdiction remains a priority CBP enforcement mission, one that we take very seriously."
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
In total, officials say the cocaine weighed 3 pounds and had an estimated street value of approximately $40,000.
The woman was turned over to the Clayton County Police Department for prosecution.
According to the CBP, they seize an average of 3,677 pounds of drugs every day across the country.
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