Jamaican man with cocaine arrested while posing as a pilot

NEW YORK,— A Jamaican man posing as an  airline pilot has been arrested at the John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport here after he was found to be in possession of five pounds of cocaine on his arrival from Jamaica.

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Mario Hudson, who is due to appear before the US Eastern District Court of New York later this month, was detained on March 27 last.

“Mr Hudson was dressed in what appeared to be a pilot’s uniform and claimed he was a ‘dead-heading crew member’,” CBP said.

But during the baggage inspection, CBP said officers discovered that Hudson had what appeared to be two fraudulent Delta Airlines ID badges. The officers also noticed that the sides and bottom of the luggage appeared to be unusually thick and heavy.

CBP said Hudson was escorted to a private search room, “where his suitcase was probed, revealing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.”

Hudson was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to US Homeland Security Investigations.

The cocaine had a total weight of five pounds and had a street value of US$85,000