Crime

Man Caught With 30 Pounds Of Cocaine Hidden Inside A Wheelchair At BWI Airport

Published

4 years ago

June 29, 2022

Abu Sillah

A New Jersey man was caught with 30 pounds of cocaine hidden inside his electric wheelchair last week at BWI Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday.

34-year-old Gabriel Ruiz of Union City, NJ is charged with felony narcotics importation and possession. He was arrested by Maryland Transportation Authority officers at the Baltimore airport on Monday, June 21 after arriving from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Officials said 13 plastic-wrapped cocaine bricks were found in the man’s Jazzy 614 electric wheelchair after the wheelchair was x-rayed. The bricks were positively identified as cocaine after officers used field test kits.

The CBP said the bricks had a combined weight of 30 pounds and three ounces and had an estimated street value of nearly $1 million.

The State’s Attorney in Anne Arundel County, Anne Colt Leitess, is prosecuting Ruiz.

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Abu Sillah

Abu Sillah is a dynamic professional from Prince George's County, MD, with a multifaceted career as Educator and Media Relations professional. As the COO of The DMV Daily, Abu demonstrates a keen entrepreneurial spirit and a strategic approach to brand development and marketing.