Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Atlanta airport had a busy holiday season.
Since Nov. 27, they seized 20 pounds of cocaine during four separate smuggling attempts at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, according to a news release.
The seized cocaine had an estimated street value of $280,000.
Three of the incidents involved travelers arriving from Jamaica. The most recent took place Dec. 23 when officers intercepted more than 3 pounds of cocaine that was packaged inside coffee bags.
On Dec. 11, 7 pounds were found in a bag that was left on a flight from Jamaica. That cocaine also was found inside coffee bags.
On Nov. 27, a person arriving from Jamaica was found to have 3 pounds in a bag. Then on Nov. 30, customs officers confiscated just under 7 pounds from a traveler arriving from Brazil who tried to hide the cocaine in a false-sided bag.
“The enforcement of our nation’s laws by our officers at U.S. ports of entry like (Atlanta) are paramount in the fight to intercept harmful drugs from abroad and keep them from impacting our communities,” Paula Rivera, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Atlanta port director, said in the release.
No information was released about those involved in the seizures.
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