Two women were recently nabbed at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York after attempting to smuggle cocaine into the United States from Guyana.

The recent busts once again expose security failures at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which has been an ongoing issue of great concern for some time.

Tricia Ann D’Aguiar, according to court documents, arrived at the airport on a Caribbean Airlines flight from Guyana on November 21st and a US Customs and Border Protection narcotics dog drew attention to a suitcase that she later claimed as her own. The woman told the authorities that she packed the suitcase, which was found to contain 6.053 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in plastic bags. Under questioning, D’Aguiar said she knew the cocaine was in her suitcase and that she was paid US$10,000 to transport the drugs to another individual, whom she had planned to meet in the US.

On November 22nd, Fredericka Latrice Coats, who is also known as ‘X Ali Aminah’ and Novia Gray,’ also arrived at the airport on a Caribbean Airlines flight from Guyana. At the time, she was in possession of four bags, including a plastic black bag that contained five hardcover books. She was selected for a random search and upon examination of the books officials noticed that they felt unusually thick. Coats was escorted to a private room and in her presence a further examination of the books was done and uncovered a white, powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine. The amount recovered from the book weighed 2.485 kilogrammes.

Coats subsequently appeared before Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom on Novem-ber 24th and was placed US$150,000 bail.

The two women were nabbed shortly after another Guyanese, Wilton Sinclair, was caught at the same airport on November 18th attempting to smuggle 8.206 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in four bottles of rum.