On Tuesday, employees at Tulsa International Airport discovered nearly 30 pounds of cocaine stowed away in the nose (yes, the nose) of an American Airlines plane. The stash was discovered after the plane, flying from Colombia, was diverted to the Oklahoma airport.
President Trump is worried about people and drugs coming to the country illegally, but he may have forgotten all about stowaway goods. A Boeing 757 packed with cocaine and showing up in Oklahoma may seem like a far-fetched story, but it had an interesting journey. Flying from Bogota, Colombia, the plane originally stopped at Miami International Airport, as it was flagged for a maintenance check. But the Miami airport was too packed to accommodate it, so it was diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Technicians then inspected the plane noticed that the insulation in the nose electronic bay was new and decided to investigate further. Soon enough, five blocks of cocaine were unearthed. Naturally, the tech called the sheriff’s office and they headed right on over. After investigators arrived, the final two blocks were located. New York Daily News did note that investigators and technicians were covered in grease, which the smugglers likely used to throw drug-sniffing dogs off their trail.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s office said the seven blocks weighed 14 kilos (31 pounds), which could go for an estimated maximum price of $434,000 on the street. It was a mighty haul, so big in fact that Tulsa Country Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Casey Roebuck said they are asking for federal help:
“That’s a lot of cocaine, so we suspect cartel involvement. sThat’s why we’re turning it over to the [Drug Enforcement Administration’s office] in Miami.”
This plane sure was flying high.
(Via CNN & New York Daily News)