A Colombian man has been taken into custody after authorities claim he attempted to smuggle cocaine valued at $10,000 onto a flight by concealing it beneath a meticulously attached wig.
He was stopped at security by the Anti-Narcotics Police while trying to board a flight from Cartagena to Amsterdam. A video shared on X by the Colombian National Police captured the moment officers intervened.
Police said that the amount of cocaine the man had allegedly been trying to smuggle through the airport had been valued at more than 10,000 euros (just under $10,500), per a Monday, Feb. 24 news release.
Officers confirmed the cocaine capsules had been “camouflaged in a wig,” sharing footage of the moment the wig was cut open to reveal the drugs before officers tested it.
The incident happened on Thursday, Feb. 20, according to the BBC.
“These capsules contained a substance that, after being subjected to the Homologated Preliminary Identification Test (PIPH), tested positive for cocaine,” police said, per the release.
The post added, “According to the flight plans of the captured 40-year-old, he intended to travel to Amsterdam (Netherlands), where he was presumed to be carrying the alkaloid.”
“This important result has affected criminal finances and prevented the sale of more than 400 doses of cocaine,” authorities continued, adding that the “person in question has two court records for the crime of drug trafficking.”
The suspect has now been “placed at the disposal of the Attorney General’s Office for the crime of trafficking, manufacturing and carrying narcotic substances,” police said, per the release.
The commander of the Metropolitan Police of Cartagena, Brigadier General Gelver Yecid Peña Araque, stated that more than 450 people this year had “been arrested for drug trafficking and more than 115 kilos of hallucinogens have been seized, including marijuana, coca base and cocaine,” per the release.
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“We are dealing decisive blows against these criminal structures that not only fight over local drug trafficking, but are also the generators of different violent acts and other types of crimes that disrupt peace and coexistence,” the officer shared.
“We continue to insist on the importance of the community being our main ally, providing timely information that helps us identify and locate criminals,” he continued.
The Colombian National Police didn’t immediately reply when contacted for additional information.
