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A woman was busted at JFK Airport trying to smuggle 28 pounds of cocaine — inside the tires of her wheelchair, authorities said Monday. Wheelchair
Federal agents suspected something was off with Emelinda Paulino De Rivas’ wheelchair when she arrived in New York City on Thursday from Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
Officers said they noticed the tires on the wheelchair weren’t rotating.
So they X-rayed the four rubber wheels and discovered roughly 28 pounds of cocaine, worth nearly half-a-million dollars, stuffed in bags inside, the feds said.
De Rivas, a Dominican national, was taken into custody and charged with multiple counts of federal narcotics smuggling raps.
Wheelchair With Rims “CBP stands steadfast and determined in working with our partners to identify the trans- national criminal networks responsible for importing these deadly drugs into our neighborhoods.” Francis Russo, director of CBP’s New York office, said in a statement.