Jamaican flight crew member charged with smuggling cocaine taped to his legs

A crew member on Fly Jamaica Airways recently discovered that he could not get a leg up on US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in his attempt to transport illegal drugs into the United States.

Jamaican Hugh Hall was nabbed with cocaine tapped to his legs at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JKF)

He had arrived at JFK from Montego Bay, Jamaica on March 17, and presented himself for inspection. Hall was escorted to a private search room where CBP officers discovered the four packages, all of which contained a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.

The cocaine seized weighed about nine pounds and had an approximate street value of US$160,000.

Hall was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.

“This seizure is another example of our CBP officers being ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of illicit drugs,” said Leon Hayward, Acting Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations.

Hall faces federal narcotics smuggling charges.