*A traveler at New York’s Kennedy International Airport was busted by customs officers with $450,000 worth of cocaine smuggled inside the wheels of her wheelchair.
Emelinda Paulino De Rivas was arrested on Nov. 10 after Customs and Border Patrol officers stopped her upon arrival from Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The agents became suspicious when they noticed the wheels on the wheelchair weren’t turning, The AP reports.
CPB officers X-rayed the wheelchair and noticed an “anomaly” in the wheels. That’s when a further inspection exposed a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
Officers confiscated 28 pounds of cocaine from all four wheels. The 12.7 kilos have a street value of $450,000, according to the AP report.
READ MORE: Shanquella Robinson’s Frenemies: The Journal of Steffanie Rivers | WATCH
Woman busted at JFK airport trying to smuggle 28 pounds of cocaine in wheelchair wheels‼️???? pic.twitter.com/JN1NrVRez1
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) November 15, 2022
De Rivas was arrested on smuggling charges and she’s reportedly in the custody of Homeland Security Investigations.
“CBP stands steadfast and determined in working with our partners to identify the trans-national criminal networks responsible for importing these deadly drugs into our neighborhoods.” said Francis J. Russo, Director of CBP’s New York field operations.
“CBP’s mission is to guard the borders and ports of entry 24/7, 365 days a year to prevent these dangerous drugs from potentially killing our family, friends, and neighbors,” Russo continued.
Watch the video report below.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
