$40,000 Worth Of Cocaine Smuggled In Shoes At Atlanta Airport

Authorities caught a traveler accused of smuggling about $40,000 worth of cocaine in several pairs of shoes at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers referred the Georgia woman, 21, for further inspection on Sunday (May 2). She arrived in Atlanta from Jamaica, according to the agency. The agency did not name the woman on Tuesday (May 4).

Officials found “a white powdery substance…that field tested positive for cocaine” in seven pairs of shoes in her luggage. It weighed in at about three pounds, estimated to have a street value of about $40,000. The Customs and Border Protection officers “turned the individual over” to the Clayton County Police Department, a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol states.

“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.”

The agency seizes an average of 3,677 points of drugs on a typical day.

Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection