Cocaine Seized From Suitcase at JFK Airport

Posted on July 15, 2014

On Tuesday, July 15, 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, New York, performed a canine sniff of baggage arriving from Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago.

When the suitcase belonging to U.S. citizen Elkan Barak Durham yielded a positive alert for the presence of narcotics, Durham and the suitcase were taken to a private search room for further investigation. Following a search of Durham’s luggage, officer located nearly 9 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $151,000.

Durham was taken into custody and charged with importation of a controlled substance. His cocaine was seized and he was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations.