14 DAY TRIAL // If you want to try your hand at smuggling cocaine and hide it in your luggage, you can at least pretend you had no idea it was there when customs officials bust you.
Jamaican citizen Romario Lewis had no such luck when he clashed with US Customs and Border Protection officers in New York this past April 16.
That's because the cocaine he was trying to smuggle into the country was found hidden in his undies. The undies he was wearing at that time, to be more precise.
The man drew attention to himself by being too nervous
In a statement released this past Monday, May 4, the US Customs and Border Protection explains that Romario Lewis drew attention to himself when, while his suitcase was being inspected, he showed signs of nervousness.
Since they didn't find anything suspicious in the man's luggage, customs officials decided to do a body search. Soon enough, they found two packages of cocaine hidden in his underwear.
“Customs and Border Protection officers conducted a physical search of Mr. Lewis. During this search, officers discovered two packages in the subject’s groin area,” the statement reads.
Furthermore, “The two packages contained a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine.”
Information shared with the public says the two packages contained a total of 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) of cocaine, estimated to have a street value of $19,000 (€17,000).
It is unclear whether Romario Lewis was planning to sell the cocaine himself or if maybe he was simply delivering it to a dealer operating in the US.
Would-be smuggler Romario Lewis is now in police custody
Having been found guilty of trying to smuggle cocaine in the US, the Jamaican citizen was entrusted to Homeland Security Investigations.
The man is now in police custody and faces federal charges for narcotics smuggling. It is understood that he is to be prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office in the US Eastern District Court of New York.
