Authorities at Newark International Airport recently arrested a man accused of carrying a large quantity of cocaine in his shorts.
The strange situation unfolded at the Newark airport, with U.S. customs agents searching the suspect and his bags after he flew from Aruba to New Jersey. According to law enforcement officials with US Customs and Border Protection, police found two packages containing five pounds of cocaine hidden in spandex shorts that had been placed in the suspect’s backpack.
When authorities later tested the white substance found in the suspect’s backpack, it reportedly came back as positive for cocaine. The street value of the cocaine is said to be roughly $78,000.
The suspect, a citizen of the Netherlands, was placed under arrest by Port Authority police officers and charged with multiple drug crimes, including possession of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
If the suspect is convicted on the most serious charges of distributing cocaine, he would be subject to stiff penalties. That’s because N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5 stipulates that possession of five ounces or more of cocaine is a first degree felony and carries a potential punishment of 10-20 years in NJ State Prison.
For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Flier Hid $78K of Cocaine in Spandex, Airport Officials Say.”
