Upon inspection, officers at JFK found a white powder inside the luggage that tested positive for cocaine. In all, customs agents recovered 9 pounds of the substance, an estimated $151,000 in street value.
Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
A furry, four-legged security agent helped authorities stop an illegal shipment of cocaine from sneaking past John F. Kennedy International Airport customs.
Elkan Barak Durham, 36, was pulled aside on July 15 when K-9 agent Ari sniffed out Durham’s suspicious suitcase during an examination.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Anthony Bucci said Durham arrived at JFK from Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago with the large black suitcase.
Upon some further inspection, officers found a white powder inside the luggage that tested positive for cocaine. In all, customs agents recovered 9 pounds of the substance, an estimated $151,000 in street value.
Durham was arrested and turned over to Homeland security. He faces federal narcotics smuggling charges to be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Cocaine is a dangerous narcotic, and CBP does its part in keeping these drugs off the streets,” Robert Perez, director of CBP’s New York Field Operations, wrote in a statement. “Our officers are determined to protect the American people from these illicit substances.”
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