A Maryland woman was arrested after trying to carry 53 pounds of marijuana in her checked bags at Dulles International Airport on Tuesday.
Sydney Lewis, 33, of Charles County, Maryland, was attempting to travel on a flight to Paris with the drugs, according to a news release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Officers found the marijuana wrapped in bed sheets in her suitcase in 50 vacuum-sealed bags.
Lewis was charged with felony possession with intent to distribute, transportation and narcotics conspiracy charges, according to the release.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said that the amount of marijuana found has a street value of about $250,000 in the U.S., but “could fetch two to three times more in Paris.”
This is an increasing trend at airports recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
Officers at Dulles Airport seized more than 70 pounds of marijuana from two men also on their way to Paris in February. They intercepted 88 pounds of Hash in checked luggage on its way to Brazil also in February.
“Marijuana remains illegal federally,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of D.C. “Travelers who gamble with their freedom by smuggling bulk amounts of marijuana for a little extra cash may find themselves on the losing end of that proposition. Customs and Border Protection officers are hard to bet against, and our officers will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that drug smugglers are held accountable.”
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