Cocaine soya chunks from Trinidad seized in US

ABOUT two pounds of cocaine, valued US$45,000 (TT$303,000), were found hidden inside soya chunks on Monday in Cincinnati, USA.

A story in the Dayton Daily News online paper says the drugs were found to have originated from Trinidad.

The story, by journalist Daniel Susco, said US Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati found the cocaine after closely scrutinising a shipment of food products transiting though a local express consignment facility.

The package, Susco reported, was labelled "food stuff" and contained bars of soap and varying types of food products, including two bags labelled "Soya Chunks." The bags of chunks contained what appeared to be a type of nugget.After opening one of the nuggets, officers found small pellets of a white, powdery substance.

Testing, the story said, confirmed the powder was cocaine.

A press release from Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie later said, “Smugglers can be creative in their attempts to get narcotics past our frontline.

“Our officers are exceptional at identifying shipments that warrant additional scrutiny, and now, more than ever, their skills are critical in securing our nation’s borders.”

Susco's report said the police had confirmed that the shipment came from Trinidad and Tobago which was described as a region vulnerable to drug trafficking and a transit point for large quantities of cocaine moving north from South America.

The cocaine-filled soy nuggets were ultimately destined for a private residence in Ontario, Canada.

The story did not say whether any arrests were made or if efforts are being made to have the shipment's intended recipient in Canada arrested and/or questioned.