An American woman was yesterday morning nabbed by officers from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri attempting to smuggle cocaine in sugar cakes, pholouri and egg balls.

And a Guyanese woman was also nabbed by CANU officers on Wednesday at the Guyana Post Office Corpora-tion attempting to export cocaine in two ornamental turtles and some wooden pen holders. Both of the women are being held by CANU and are said to be cooperating with the authorities.

Stabroek News understands that the American woman, who is 39, was scheduled to leave on a North American Airlines flight for the United States when she was nabbed by the vigilant CANU officers.

While the cocaine itself has not been weighed, the sugar cakes, pholouri and egg balls with the cocaine inside weighed 2.5 kilogrammes. From reports received the cocaine was sealed in little silver wrappers and placed in the food items before they were fried.

While this is a new method of exporting cocaine it is understood that it is not the first time cocaine has left the country in pholouri.

Reports reaching this newspaper stated that some time earlier a woman slipped through the airport with the cocaine in pholouri but her luck ran out when after receiving information the local authorities contacted their foreign counterparts and the narcotic substance was discovered.

Stabroek News understands that CANU has beefed up its presence at the post office.

It is understood the wo-man, who is said to be 30 years old, was attempting to post a box to Ohio. However, she was observed acting in a suspicious manner, which prompted CANU officers to conduct a thorough search.

Upon investigation the officers discovered that both the wooden turtles and penholders had been hollowed out and refilled with the cocaine and then neatly covered with plastic. (Samantha Alleyne)