Cuban customs uncovers drugs hidden in speaker battery

Xinhua

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Cuban customs officials uncovered nearly a kilogram of cocaine stashed inside the battery of a high-powered speaker, the Cubadebate website reported Tuesday.

Customs inspectors at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport discovered a package with 0.940 kg cocaine in a speaker's battery case, the website said, citing a press release from the customs office.

Officials said the luggage belonged to a passenger arriving from South America who was unaware of the speaker's hidden contents, and that the cocaine was destined for the country's illicit drug market.

The passenger told officials he "sold part of his right to pounds of baggage" due to his "difficult economic situation," Cubadebate said, adding that the passenger now faces criminal proceedings.

"Once again the forces and systems of Cuba's customs prove how effective they are in fighting crime," said the website.

In 2013, Cuban customs detected 43 cases of drug smuggling, 35 of them at Havana's airport.