Worker Makes $434K Find in Plane Flagged for Maintenance

Yes, that's cocaine
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 31, 2017 12:48 AM CST
Updated Jan 31, 2017 3:03 AM CST
American Airlines Jet Had Cocaine in Its Nose
This photo provided by the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office shows some of the 31 pounds of cocaine that was accidentally discovered stashed in the nose of an American Airlines aircraft in Tulsa, Okla.   (Tulsa County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Authorities say 31 pounds of cocaine that was accidentally discovered stashed in the nose of an American Airlines aircraft in Tulsa, Okla., is worth around $434,000. Tulsa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Justin Green says the plane arrived in Miami from Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday. It was flagged for maintenance and sent later that day to Tulsa International Airport, where American Airlines has a maintenance base, the AP reports.

While working on the nose gear, an airline employee noticed what looked like a clump of insulation or a brick-like object and called the sheriff's office to inspect the suspicious find. Authorities discovered seven bricks of cocaine, worth at least $14,000 a pound. Sheriff's office spokeswoman Casey Roebuck says the case has been turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration in Miami. "That's a lot of cocaine, so we suspect cartel involvement," she says. (Customs officers in Cincinnati found 53 pounds of meth stashed inside a snail statue.)

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