Customs: Man Smuggled Cocaine in Rum Bottles to JFK

A man faces narcotics charges after trying to smuggle liquid cocaine in liquor bottles at John F. Kennedy Airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

Wilton Sinclair arrived at JFK from Guyana and presented a suitcase, duffel bag, and two duty free bags for examination, CBP said. Inside the duty free bags were four bottles of rum, officials said.

After noticing the rum seemed “thicker than usual,” Sinclair was escorted to a private search room for further inspection, said Customs. After officials detected an “unusual chemical odor” in the rum, the liquid was inspected and tested positive for cocaine, CBP said.

The bottles were found to contain 18 pounds of liquid cocaine with a street value of $310,000, said CBP.

Sinclair was arrested for importation of a controlled substance and faces federal drug smuggling charges, said CBP.

Photo credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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