Woman Arrested At JFK Airport For Smuggling Nearly Half A Million Dollars Worth Of Cocaine In Wheelchair

A woman was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for smuggling about $450,000 worth of cocaine in her wheelchair.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that the woman, who arrived from the Dominican Republic on Thursday, was scrutinized because the wheels in her wheelchair weren't moving.

Officers X-rayed the chair and noticed an "anomaly" in all four wheels. The tires were checked by officials, revealing 28 pounds of cocaine.

The woman, Emelinda Paulino De Rivas, faces narcotics smuggling charges. She will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York.

"CBP stands steadfast and determined in working with our partners to identify the trans-national criminal networks responsible for importing these deadly drugs into our neighborhoods," director of CBP's New York field operations, Francis J. Russo, said in a press release.

"CBP's mission is to guard the borders and ports of entry 24/7, 365 days a year to prevent these dangerous drugs from potentially killing our family, friends, and neighbors."

The incident comes just weeks after a police dog discovered nearly 30 pounds of cocaine in the upholstery of a motorized wheelchair at a Milan airport.