MIAMI – More than 17 pounds of cocaine concealed in purses, jackets, pillows, books and brandy carried by a passenger arriving from Lima, Peru, was seized by authorities at Miami International Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said.
CBP officers noticed during a secondary inspection Oct. 9 a strong odor emanating from the passenger's luggage.
When officers examined the contents of the luggage, they discovered irregular stitching in the jackets and purses, CBP officials said.
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Inspection of those items revealed multiple black plastic packages containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine, according to CBP officials.
Officers discovered cocaine concealed in additional items including books, pillows and liquid cocaine concealed in bottles of brandy.
"This seizure is an excellent example of our CBP officers' tenacity," said MIA 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."
Officials said the passenger was arrested. All evidence was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
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