A man trying to get into the country at John F. Kennedy International Airport earlier this month was arrested after customs officers say they found nearly five pounds of cocaine stashed away in the collapsible handle rails of his rolling suitcase.
The man, a U.S. citizen returning to the country from Guyana, was arrested at the airport on federal drug smuggling charges June 5, according to Customs and Border Protection officers.
When the man went through customs, an officer looked over luggage and noticed that the rails that supported his suitcase’s handle were unusually thick. He was taken to a private room, where customs officers searched through the bag and probed the handle rail.
Customs officers say they found 4.8 pounds of a powdery white substance that later tested positive for cocaine. The drugs have a street value of more than $82,000, they said.
