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Busted! Woman Caught Smuggling Cocaine in a Bra at JFK, Officials Say

By Julie Shapiro | January 23, 2013 4:45pm

JAMAICA — What a boob.

Two alleged drug smugglers were caught at JFK Airport within just a few hours of each other earlier this month, including one who hid cocaine in a bra, authorities said.

Late at night on Jan. 12, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers uncovered a 2-pound stash of cocaine concealed in a bra and in a pair of sneakers in the luggage of a woman who was flying in from the Dominican Republic, customs officials said.

Officers detained Luz Massiel Pérez Arlequín, the luggage's owner, officials said.

The inspectors noticed that the bra and the soles of the sneakers were suspiciously thick, and then they found a white powder inside that tested positive for cocaine, officials said.

The following morning, customs officers spotted a suitcase that with a suspiciously thick side, and when they opened it they found 11 pounds of heroin concealed inside, officials said.

The suitcase allegedly belonged to Samuel Osafo, who had just flown in from Ghana.

Both Osafo and Arlequín were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and face federal narcotics smuggling charges, officials said.

“CBP officers at JFK demonstrate daily their determination and vigilance in keeping these illegal and potentially dangerous narcotics out of the United States," Robert E. Perez, director of field operations for Customs and Border Protection in New York, said in a statement.