$1 Million in Cocaine Left on Airliner
A nervous passenger abandoned about $1 million in cocaine in carry-on luggage aboard an airliner at the Indianapolis International Airport on Monday, police said.
Police narcotics Sgt. Bobby J. Flowers said the cocaine weighed more than 7 pounds and was found about 6:15 a.m. in a gray bag as the USAir flight headed from the terminal for Pittsburgh, Pa. The flight originated in Los Angeles and made a regular stop in Indianapolis.
As the jet taxied to take off, a flight attendant noticed the luggage on the seat where the man had been sitting.
Worried the bag might contain a bomb, the attendant notified the pilot and the plane returned to the gate, Flowers said.
Airport police officer Charles Hasselburg opened the bag and found it contained four large and six small bags of a white substance and $6,945 in cash. The money--in $50, $20 and $5 bills--was stuffed into the toes of a pair of sneakers, police said.
Flowers said a field test confirmed the substance was cocaine.
The passenger, who was scheduled to continue to Pittsburgh, went to the USAir ticket counter before leaving the airport.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
