This Article is From Sep 10, 2010

Indian-origin man held in US drug bust

Washington: A 29-year-old Indian-origin truck driver was arrested by US authorities for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth nearly US $3.6 million, in one of the largest cocaine busts in the country's history.

Canada-based Ravinder Kumar Arora was arrested as he appeared "extremely nervous" during primary questioning when attempting to leave the United States at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge on the US-Canadian border. As a result, he was targeted for an outbound enforcement examination, according to federal officials.

Lewiston-Queenston Bridge is an international bridge between the United States and Canada.

Authorities examining the empty commercial trailer, which was headed for Canada, found the floorboards of the truck had been tampered with. Officers noticed that "non-factory screws" had replaced originals in the floorboards, Buffalo News reported.

When the boards were removed, authorities found the cocaine packed into 97 vacuum-sealed bricks.

Authorities seized 239 pounds of the drug from his possession.
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