Customs officers seize $22 million in cocaine hidden in furniture
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Federal customs officials in Philadelphia say they recently discovered more than 700 pounds (317 kilograms) of cocaine hidden inside bedroom furniture and kitchen cabinets that were shipped from Puerto Rico, making it the area's largest illicit drug bust in a decade.
The drugs, which had a street value of about $22 million, were seized in November by Customs and Border Protection officers from the Area Port of Philadelphia.
The drugs were found hidden inside false walls of the furniture. More than 250 bricks of a white powdery substance that field tested positive for cocaine were concealed in the compartments.
The furniture was searched after officers detected something unusual about one of the shipping containers.
An investigation is ongoing.