A Jamaican woman arriving to the city from her native country was nabbed with $70,000 worth of cocaine hidden in a box of beef patties at John F. Kennedy International Airport Tuesday, authorities say.
Customs officers pulled the woman aside when she got to the airport with a box of what appeared to be Tastee brand Jamaican beef patties. They opened the box and found 12 duct-taped packages containing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
In total, authorities seized 4 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $70,000.
The woman was arrested on a charge of importation of a controlled substance and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. She faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted in federal court in Manhattan.
