Shoes are made for walking and not smuggling narcotics as a traveler arriving at Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport recently found out. Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers referred a 21-year-old Georgia woman for further inspection after arriving on a flight from Jamaica.

Upon closer examination of her bags, seven pairs of shoes were found to have a white powdery substance concealed in the shoe bottoms that field tested positive for cocaine.

“Smugglers go through great lengths to conceal drugs from our officers,” said Paula Rivera, CBP Port Director for the Area Port of Atlanta. “Narcotics interdiction remains a priority CBP enforcement mission, one that we take very seriously.”

The cocaine discovered was seized and weighed approximately three pounds, with a street value estimated at $40,000. Atlanta CBP officers have turned the individual over to Clayton County Police Department for state prosecution.

Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

CBP conducts operations at ports of entry throughout the United States, and regularly screens arriving international passengers and cargo for narcotics, weapons, and other restricted or prohibited products.

On a typical day, CBP seizes an average of 3,677 pounds of drugs. View CBP Snapshot to learn what else CBP achieved ‘On a Typical Day’.

Visit CBP’s Border Security webpage to learn how CBP conducts its border security mission.