(ATLANTA) — A woman has been arrested after smuggling an estimated $40,000 worth of cocaine in seven pairs of shoes upon her return to the United States from Jamaica.
The incident occurred on Sunday, May 2, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when a 21-year-old woman from Georgia was pulled aside for further inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers after she arrived back in the United States from Jamaica.
“Upon closer examination of her bags, seven pairs of shoes were found to have a white powdery substance concealed in the shoe bottoms that field tested positive for cocaine,” CBP said in a statement regarding the case.
Authorities said that the amount of cocaine seized from the woman’s shoes weighed approximately three pounds and has a street value of around $40,000.
“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.”
Atlanta CBP officers turned the female suspect over to the Clayton County Police Department where she will await state prosecution.
The CBP conducts operations at ports of entry throughout the United States and regularly screens arriving international passengers and cargo for narcotics, weapons, and other restricted or prohibited products.
On a typical day, authorities seize an average of 3,677 pounds of drugs from people traveling all across the country, according to the CBP.
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