Thread: $3.6 Million CBP Cocaine Seizure Largest in Buffalo Port

I.C.E. News Release

$3.6 Million CBP Cocaine Seizure Largest in Buffalo Port History

(Thursday, September 09, 2010)

Buffalo, N.Y. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly 240 pounds of cocaine during an outbound examination, resulting in the arrest of a Canadian resident.

On Sept. 8, CBP officers encountered Ravinder Kumar Arora, a 29 year-old citizen of India with Canadian legal permanent resident status, as he was attempting to leave the U.S. via the Lewiston-Queenston border crossing in Lewiston, N.Y.

Arora, a resident of Brampton, Ontario, was the operator and lone occupant of a empty commercial trailer destined to Canada. During primary questioning, Arora appeared extremely nervous and was subsequently selected for an outbound enforcement examination.

During the course of the inspections, CBP officers noticed that the floor of the container had been tampered with and replaced with non-factory screws. The floor boards of the container were removed, resulting in the discovery of 97 vacuum-sealed bricks of a white powder substance which later field-tested positive as cocaine.

“This is the largest cocaine seizure to date in the Port of Buffalo and has a street value of approximately

$3.6 millionâ€

Congratulations Buffalo CBP on a job well done