Chinese Woman Detained at Rome Airport with Cocaine Hidden in Fortune Cookie Packages

A joint effort by Rome’s police, the Italian Air Border Police Office and Civitavecchia prosecutors led to the detention of an unidentified 40-year-old Chinese woman at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. During a luggage inspection, officers found 127 gold-colored packages resembling fortune cookies, each containing roughly 40.7 grams of cocaine, amounting to a total of 5.17 kilograms. The search also yielded seven toothpaste tubes and three coffee packages, which investigators believe were meant to confuse canine detection units.

The woman was transferred to the Civitavecchia Detention Center and placed under the jurisdiction of local courts. Authorities noted that the seized cocaine could generate substantial illicit revenue in the market. Additionally, Italian financial police and customs officials arrested two Mexican nationals at the same airport after discovering more than 17 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in a false bottom of their suitcases, following suspicious answers given to investigators.