BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — An 81-year-old woman has been captured in Colombia after authorities discovered cocaine embedded in her wheelchair as she tried to board a flight to Spain.
Police say Irene Mesa de Marulanda was caught with nearly three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of cocaine inside the metal tubing of her wheelchair.
Lt. Col. Carlos Rodríguez told The Associated Press Monday she denied having any knowledge of the presence of the illicit drugs.
Antinarcotics officers at the José Maria Córdova International Airport near Medellín noted abnormalities in the wheelchair including a fresh coat of paint.
Rodríguez said investigators are looking into whether someone associated with the woman is behind the attempted drug trafficking.
He added that this is the fourth case so far this year involving elderly residents with drug trafficking.