We have our first stupid smuggling attempt of 2017. In a story similar to one we blogged about 3 years ago where CBP at JFK Seized Cocaine in Meat, another traveler thought it would be a good idea to hide some cocaine in some beef patties from Jamaica. I again explain: it is basically impossible to import meat into the United States without getting advance permission from either the FDA, USDA, or both.
In other words, the smuggler tried to hide something illegal in something that was illegal. If you’re going to have any chance at success in smuggling, you would need to hide something illegal in something legal.
You should not hide something illegal in something illegal, and moreover, something that a dog is going to naturally gravitate toward, like meat.
Here is the full story:
JAMAICA, N.Y. — A traveler had more than a snack in her suitcase when she arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Fortunately, U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were there to stop her in her tracks.
On January 17, CBP officers intercepted passenger Ms. Chantal Alecia Bedward, a citizen of Jamaica, arriving from Kingston, Jamaica. During her examination, CBP officers discovered what appeared to be a box of Tastee Brand, Jamaican Beef Patties. CBP officers escorted Ms. Bedward to a private search room where the box of beef patties was opened revealing 12 duct-taped packages. The packages were probed producing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
Ms. Bedward was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The approximate gross weight of cocaine seized was 4 lbs.