A man returning to New York from the Dominican Republic was arrested after customs authorities found about 10 pounds of cocaine worth 164,000 dollars in his pants, authorities said on Friday.
He was arrested when he landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport last week.
The man, a U.S. citizen, was “bursting out of his pants’’ when he went through customs at the Queens hub, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Spokesperson said.
Agents said the man looked nervous “and his pants appeared to be rather snug.’’
The passenger, identified as Juan Carlos Galan Luperon, arrived on March 4 at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York from the Dominican Republic.
When Luperon, a U.S. citizen, presented himself for inspection, officers found packages taped around both of his legs.
The agency released a photo showing the bulging thighs and shins wrapped in white tape, resembling the body armour of a “Star Wars’’ storm trooper.
The packages were found to contain about 4.5 kilograms of “a white powder that tested positive for cocaine,’’ the agency’s news release said.
The CBP said it was not the first time their New York officers had seen the concealment method.
CBP arrested Luperon, 28, who faces federal narcotics smuggling charges. (dpa/NAN) AIJ/HA
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