More than 3 lbs. of cocaine found in JFK passenger's shoes, handbag

NEW YORK -- An arriving passenger at John F. Kennedy International Airport was caught with more than 3 pounds of cocaine in her shoes and pocketbook.

U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Janisha Amalee Atkins on September 19 at JFK. She arrived on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Officers noticed that the two pairs of platform shoes in her luggage felt unusually heavy. Closer examination uncovered a white powdery substance in the shoes and in her pocketbook that tested positive for cocaine, authorities said.

Atkins was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. Authorities said the 3.7 pounds of cocaine found in her possession has an approximate street value of more than $64,000.

Atkins now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York.