NEW YORK: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 20 pounds of narcotics last week from two different aircraft arriving at JFK Airport.
“CBP officers stand on the front line to ensure that these illicit narcotics are seized prior to entering this country,” said Robert E. Perez, Director, Field Operations New York.
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Customs and Border Protection officials said a specialized K-9 named Ari alerted officers to the positive presence of narcotics in the aft left side lavatory area of a plane that arrived at the airport on May 8.
When they removed a panel, agents found five packages that tested positive for heroin, officials said. They said the heroin weighed about 12 pounds and has an estimated street value of $319,000.
The plane had come from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Two days later, based on the first discovery, Customs and Border Protection officers searched another flight arriving from Santo Domingo.
Officers searched the cabin and discovered five packages concealed behind the toilet shroud in the aft right side lavatory, officials said.
Those bricks tested positive for cocaine and heroin. Officials said about 5 pounds of cocaine and 7 pounds of heroin was seized with an estimated street value of $281,000.
So far, no arrests have been made in connection with these seizures. Customs and Border Protection said the investigation is ongoing.
