Airport security has become one of the tightest operations after it came under serious attack after the attacks on Sept. 11, almost exactly ten years ago. Airport security officials do not just use a metal detector anymore; they have scanning devices and other technology that are utilized to search your person and your belongings.
Things that could be considered unsafe on the airplane – like knives, explosives or flammable materials – are not the only items found in security searches. A New Jersey resident is now facing criminal drug charges after just over two kilograms of cocaine were found in his checked luggage.
The controlled substance was found in his suitcase at the Logan International Airport. The cocaine had been wrapped in plastic and stuffed into four pairs of shoes. Airport officials have refused to release information on what method detected the substances, saying that announcing it could “compromise ongoing interdiction efforts.”
The 24-year-old man was arraigned on Tuesday. The judge set a second future hearing for Oct. 5 after he accepted the young man’s not guilty plea and set bail at $300,000. It has been reported that the young man had representation and an interpreter, but it appeared as though he was confused during the hearing.
The young man now faces the possibility of a 15-year mandatory minimum jail sentence for the charged crime: trafficking in more than 200 grams of a Class B substance.
Consequences for drug charges can be serious, and it is important that you fully understand the accusations made against you and what the results of any decision could be. Finding an experienced criminal defense attorney that makes you feel comfortable and will advocate for your rights is vital for someone facing criminal drug charges.
Source: Boston Globe, “N.J. man charged with trying to smuggle cocaine in his shoes at Logan Airport,” Brian R. Ballou and Martin Finucane, Sept. 20, 2011