After cracking down on owls, JFK has turned its attention to smugglers; officials say they seized $150,000 in counterfeit bills from a woman traveling to New York from Colombia last month. And it appears they caught her because her bag reeked of glue, so you may want to rethink smuggling a suitcase full of third-grade Civil War dioramas through an airport anytime soon.
Ciara Ryan, 38, was nabbed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents after getting off a return flight from Colombia on December 14th. Officials say they selected her for a random baggage search, and, after noticing one of her two bags smelled like glue, they discovered the bottom had been altered to accommodate allegedly counterfeit $100 bills.
Ryan's second bag also contained alleged counterfeit bills hidden in its lining, and authorities say she was carrying a total of $150,000 in fake Benjamins. "Despite the multi-faceted challenge our officers encounter every day, they are ever vigilant in their efforts to protect the United States," Robert E. Perez, Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations, said in a statement. "This seizure speaks to the diverse CBP mission." True, but you know what's cooler than $150,000? $1.2 million...in drugs.
