Customs: Woman hid cocaine in shoes at Atlanta airport

ATLANTA (AP) - A Georgia woman was caught trying to smuggle $40,000 worth of cocaine in multiple pairs of shoes through the Atlanta airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Customs officers stopped the 21-year-old on Sunday after she arrived on a flight from Jamaica, the agency said in a statement Monday. Her bags were inspected, and seven pairs of shoes were found to have a powdery white substance concealed in their bottoms.

The substance tested positive for cocaine, according to the agency. About 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) of the drug were recovered.

'œSmugglers go through great lengths to conceal drugs from our officers,'ť Paula Rivera, the agency's Atlanta port director, said in the statement. 'œNarcotics interdiction remains a priority CBP enforcement mission, one that we take very seriously.'ť

The officers turned the unidentified woman over to Clayton County Police Department for state prosecution.

Customs and Border Protection says it seizes an average of nearly 3,700 pounds (1,700 kilograms) of drugs daily.