Crime & Safety
Customs: Man Tries to Smuggle $300K Worth of Cocaine in Custard Packages
Nearly 18 pounds of cocaine seized at JFK Airport last month, officials say.
A Guyana man attempted to conceal nearly 18 pounds of cocaine inside packages labeled as custard powder as he tried to enter the country at John F. Kennedy International Airport last month, authorities said Wednesday.
Godfrey Cassius was arriving in New York on a flight from Georgetown, Guyana on April 22, but neither he nor the cocaine, with an estimated street value of $300,000, made it past U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.
During a baggage inspection, officers discovered eight packages of “Champion” custard powder within Cassius's luggage, authorities said.
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"When the packages were probed, they yielded a white powder which emitted a strong chemical odor," the CBP said in a news release.
The power tested positive for cocaine and Cassius was arrested on a charge of importation of a controlled substance and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
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“Cocaine is a dangerous narcotic, and CBP does its part in keeping these drugs off the streets," said Robert E. Perez, the director of CBP’s New York field operations, in a statement. “Our officers are determined to protect the American people from these illicit substances.”
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