The Ethiopian Customs Commission on Wednesday announced the seizure of cocaine weighing of more than 97 kilograms, worth about $14.7 million.
The cocaine was seized at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport as a female passenger who, departed from Nairobi, Kenya and arrived in Addis Ababa, was smuggling the drug within two suitcases each weighing 48.62 kilograms and 48.86 kilograms of cocaine.
The commission in a statement said the suspect was arrested trying to smuggle through the low risk level (Green Line ) where transit passengers and passengers carrying duty- free and non taxable goods exit.
She tried to hide the items in her luggage by wrapping them in Aluminium foil, as if they were books to avoid X-ray probation, but further inspection confirmed that the luggage was packed with cocaine.
If the drug escaped through the inspection checkpoint and delivered to terrorists, it would cause huge social and economic crisis and potentially threatens the well- being of citizens, stated the commission.
MG/abj/APA