J'can woman held with cocaine at US airport

A Jamaican national was allegedly held with a quantity of cocaine which she attempted to smuggle in packages of instant powdered chocolate mix at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York recently, THE WEEKEND STAR understands.

She is 35-year-old Tova Levy.

According to the New York Daily News, Levy arrived at JFK via a Caribbean Airlines flight from Kingston with two pieces of luggage on May 15.

What happened next, Levy presumably did not bargain for. It is said that she was selected by Customs and Border Protection officers for an examination. During the search, the authorities were reportedly alerted to four cans of Lasco brand chocolate mix which aroused their suspicions.

A closer inspection unearthed a white powdery substance in one of the cans purported to be chocolate mix. The substance is said to have tested positive for the presence of cocaine. A total of just under 4.5 pounds of the illicit substance was seized by officials.

The woman later admitted that the bags were in fact hers.

She was subsequently held without bail.