More than 3 pounds of cocaine found in JFK passenger's shoes, handbag

JAMAICA, NEW YORK -- An arriving passenger at John F. Kennedy International Airport was caught with more than three pounds of cocaine in her shoes and pocketbook.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Janisha Amalee Atkins on September 19 at JFK. She arrived on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Officers noticed that the two pairs of platform shoes in her luggage felt unusually heavy. Closer examination uncovered a white powdery substance in the shoes and in her pocketbook that tested positive for cocaine, authorities said.

Atkins was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations. Authorities said the 3.7 pounds of cocaine found in her possession has an approximate street value of more than $64,000.

Atkins now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York.