8.6 kilograms of cocaine seized at Mexico City airport
Original reporting: Colima Noticias
What happened
Authorities found 8.6 kilograms of suspected cocaine in 20 fiberglass handicrafts inside a passenger’s checked baggage after a flight from Lima, Peru. The federal Security Cabinet says 20 bags tested positive for freebase cocaine; a federal prosecutor will determine the passenger’s legal status.
Reporting and context
Mexican authorities seized 8.6 kilograms of suspected cocaine hidden inside 20 fiberglass handicrafts in the checked baggage of a passenger arriving at Mexico City International Airport on a flight from Lima, Peru, according to the federal Security Cabinet.
Colima Noticias reported that personnel from the Mexican Navy, the National Customs Agency and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection found irregularities during a routine inspection of the luggage. Officials opened the objects and discovered 20 plastic bags containing a white powder. Specialized testing produced a positive result for freebase cocaine, the federal account said.
The seized substance was placed at the disposal of a federal prosecutor, who will integrate the investigation and determine the passenger’s legal status. The Security Cabinet said the operation was intended to prevent prohibited substances from entering Mexico through inspections and technology at national customs. The source text contains a conflicting transcription that says “8,640 kilograms”; the clearer official post and headline identify the amount as 8.6 kilograms, which is used here.