THE
HUNTERDON COUNTY NEWS |
TITLE: CBP Officers in Buffalo Thwart $2 Million Ecstasy Smuggling Attempt
DESCRIPTION:
Time: 06:48:08
U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced the seizure of approximately 67 pounds of methylene-dioxymethamphetamine, better known as the club-drug “ecstasy.” The seizure resulted in the arrest of a Canadian citizen.
CBP officers Monday encountered Cidalia Costa, a 35-year-old Canadian citizen from Toronto, Ontario, as she applied for admission into the United States at the Peace Bridge border crossing in Buffalo, N.Y. The subject advised CBP officers that she was enroute to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport to pick up a friend. Additional questioning of Costa aroused the suspicion of the CBP officer and she was referred for a secondary enforcement exam.
During the inspection of subject’s vehicle, CBP officers utilized a portable contraband detector device known as a “Buster” that locates density anomalies concealed behind opaque surfaces, such as door panels or fuel tanks. When CBP officers used the device on the vehicle’s spare tire, they received a higher than normal reading.
A subsequent gamma-ray scan of the vehicle revealed several anomalies in the spare tire. The spare was removed from the vehicle and cut open, revealing five large vacuum-sealed bags. The bags, which contained approximately 103,450 pills with a weight of 67 pounds, later field-tested positive for MDMA.
“The ecstasy seized by CBP has a street value of approximately $2 million,” said Helen Sterling, CBP acting director of field operations for the Buffalo field office. "This interception of ecstasy has prevented a very dangerous drug from reaching our streets."The Honor Guard Competition is just one of the celebrated events during Police Week which honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Costa was arrested on federal charges of importation and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. She was turned over to agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.