Suitcase contains raw meat, which contains 3 pounds of cocaine
Three pounds of cocaine wrapped in plastic -- and raw meat -- and stowed inside a suitcase didn’t make it past security at San Jose International Airport.
The recent hidden-drugs fail was included in a TSA roundup under “artfully concealed prohibited items,†with the advice: “It’s important to examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure you are not carrying prohibited items.â€
Airport officials and San Jose police tracked the checked bag to 24-year-old Salvador Robledo-Zamaya, who was planning to fly Nov. 8 to Seattle. He didn’t make his flight because police arrested him on suspicion of possessing the drugs for sale, according to San Jose police.
The cocaine was in three vacuum-sealed packs hidden in the bag of meat, Transportation Security Administration spokesman Ross Feinstein said Monday. The drugs were spotted with a machine the agency uses for detecting explosives.
The TSA has proven it has to be on its toes, with finds in the past including the makings of a date-rape drug, cocaine diapers and a whole host of weapons. As the Los Angeles Times’ Hugo Martin reports, a record 1,855 firearms have been confiscated nationwide this year alone.
For breaking news throughout California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA. She can be reached at [email protected]
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