Customs officers at New York’s Kennedy International Airport seized 450,000 {dollars} (£378,000) price of cocaine from a traveller who was smuggling the medication within the wheels of her wheelchair, federal authorities introduced.

The incident occurred on November 10 when Customs and Border Patrol officers stopped a girl touring from Punta Cana within the Dominican Republic with a wheelchair whose wheels weren’t turning, company officers mentioned.

The officers X-rayed the wheelchair and observed an “anomaly” in all 4 wheels, CPB officers mentioned in a information launch.

Officers checked the tyres and located a white powder that examined optimistic for cocaine, they mentioned.

A complete of 12.7 kilos of cocaine with a avenue worth of 450,000 {dollars} was faraway from the wheels, officers mentioned.

The lady, a Dominican citizen named Emelinda Paulino De Rivas, was arrested on smuggling costs and turned over to 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 neighbourhoods.” Francis J Russo, Director of CBP’s New York discipline operations, mentioned.

“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 neighbours.”