The Region - News from March 14, 1986

A Hong Kong resident was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after customs inspectors detected about $40 million worth of heroin concealed in cake mix packages in his luggage, the U.S. Customs Service said. Sik Wan Li, 32, of Kowloon, had just arrived on a flight from Hong Kong. He was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Volney Brown and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 20. The estimated 13 pounds of heroin, worth about $40 million, was in carefully wrapped packages concealed in luggage and cartons labeled as “Jello Cheesecake Mix,” customs officials said. Li, who had been planning to take a connecting flight to Miami and, from there, travel to Ecuador, told authorities he is a factory worker.