WASHINGTON: A Jamaican woman who arrived here from the British Virgin Islands has been arrested after the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said it discovered three pounds of cocaine in her baggage.
They said that Trudian James, 30, was detained at the Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport late Monday and has since been handed over to the Maryland State Police for prosecution.
According to the CBP, during a secondary baggage examination, officers noticed that the bottom of her suitcase was unusually thick and an x-ray detected a ‘mass’, which later tested positive for cocaine.
The CBP said the cocaine and packaging weighed approximately 1,300 grams and has a street value of US$90,000.
“Transnational criminal organisations employ many unique concealment methods to smuggle their deadly drugs into the United States, and Customs and Border Protection officers must remain vigilant to stop these attempts,” said Dianna Bowman, CBP area port director for the Port of Baltimore.
“We’re hopeful that this arrest sends a strong message that CBP officers in Baltimore remain committed to intercepting illicit narcotics before it can reach our communities,” she added.
