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What looked like a routine morning brew turned into a major drug bust at an Alaska airport recently.
Authorities discovered nearly $28,000 worth of suspected cocaine stashed inside a coffee container in a man’s luggage on Nov. 11.
The discovery was made at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers noticed what appeared to be a white, chalky substance during a secondary baggage screening, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
BIZARRE X-RAY SCAN LEADS TSA OFFICERS TO FLIGHT PASSENGER’S ILLEGAL STASH
Investigators with the Anchorage Airport Interdiction Team responded at about 6:55 a.m. and determined the bag belonged to a 58-year-old resident of Selawik, Alaska, authorities said.
The substance had a gross weight of about 185 grams, or less than half a pound, and field-tested positive for cocaine, according to the department.
A traveler was arrested at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, pictured, after authorities discovered nearly $28,000 worth of suspected cocaine. (AFP via Getty Images)
Authorities estimated the drugs would have a street value of $27,750 in the northwestern Alaska communities of Kotzebue and Selawik.
The man, Walter Berry, was contacted at the departure gate as he prepared to board a flight from Anchorage to Kotzebue, officials said.
His final destination was Selawik, according to the department.
Investigators said Berry had possession of the luggage before it was checked for the flight.
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He was arrested and taken to the Anchorage Correctional Complex on a charge of third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, authorities said.
The investigation remains ongoing with assistance from the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team.
Investigators determined that Walter Berry had possession of the luggage before checking it for a flight departing Anchorage. (iStock)
Digital reached out to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and the Alaska Department of Public Safety for comment.
The discovery comes after a number of other unusual items have been flagged recently during airport security screenings.
‘You will be caught’
Digital previously reported that TSA officers at New York’s Watertown International Airport spotted something suspicious on an X-ray that turned out to be a spent M18 smoke grenade hidden inside an aerosol container in a passenger’s carry-on bag.
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The passenger reportedly told officers he’d forgotten the grenade was in his bag. An explosives expert later confirmed that it was not live.
In another incident at Tampa International Airport, a TSA officer noticed something unusual about a baseball bat-shaped flashlight while screening a passenger’s carry-on bag.
The investigation into suspected cocaine discovered at Anchorage’s airport remains ongoing with assistance from a regional narcotics team. (iStock)
A closer inspection revealed a 4-inch, double-edged knife concealed inside the flashlight.
Keith Jeffries, a Florida-based vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and former federal security director for TSA at Los Angeles International Airport, previously told Digital that travelers should not attempt to sneak prohibited items through airport security.
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“Do not try to test the system,” Jeffries said.
“If you do, you will be caught,” he added.
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Andrea Margolis of Digital contributed reporting.
