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Man arrested at US airport after bricks of cocaine found hidden in wheelchair

cocaine found in wheelchair
Posted at 8:56 PM, Jun 29, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-29 21:56:49-04

BALTIMORE — A New Jersey man is accused of trying to smuggle drugs through BWI airport in Baltimore, Maryland. U.S. Customs and Border Protectionofficials say Gabriel Ruiz hid 30 pounds of cocaine in his electric wheelchair.

The discovery was made back on June 20, when Ruiz flew from the Dominican Republic to Baltimore.

A security X-ray showed something odd in the wheelchair's seat and back cushions. That's when agents found 13 plastic-wrapped bricks of cocaine, worth nearly a million dollars.

Ruiz is now facing charges of narcotics importation and drug possession.

This story was originally published by WMAR in Baltimore, Maryland.