An arriving passenger at JFK was busted by customs officers with cocaine in his suitcase.
On Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped Dhroepchand Badal, who had arrived on a flight from Paramaribo, Suriname, via the Port of Spain, Traded and Tobago.
During inspection, authorities noticed that Badal’s suitcase was unusually heavy and that the sides were thicker than normal.
Upon investigation, officers found a white powdery substance, which later tested positive for cocaine.
Badal was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for further investigation.
The total weight of the cocaine was about 15 pounds, and valued at more than $255,000.
Nadal now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
