ATLANTA, Ga. — Authorities say they caught a Georgia woman attempting to smuggle thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine hidden in her shoes at an airport on Sunday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says its officers at the Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport stopped the 21-year-old woman for further inspection after she arrived on a flight from Jamaica.
While examining the woman’s bags, CBP says the officers found a white powdery substance concealed in the bottom of seven pairs of shoes. It later tested positive for cocaine.
After seizing the cocaine, officials determined the haul weighed about three pounds and had a street value estimated at $40,000.
The suspected smuggler was turned over to the Clayton County Police Department for state prosecution, according to CBP.
“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.”
CBP says it conducts operations at ports of entry throughout the country, and regularly screens arriving international passengers and cargo for narcotics, weapons, and other restricted or prohibited products. On a typical day, CBP says it seizes an average of 3,677 pounds of drugs.