Two ramp agents at Delta Airlines were taken into custody for smuggling in excess of $3 million of ketamine via John F. Kennedy International Airport, officials say.
On September 19, Leandro Alleyne and Fabian Innis were taken into custody after authorities saw them handling questionable luggage off a flight from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Upon his arrest, Innis admitted to authorities he had taken part in the smuggling operation with Alleyne at least five to ten times before. He admitted to knowing that the bags contained illegal substances, but he didn’t realize it was ketamine. He also disclosed that his payment for each flight varied between $4,000 and $5,000.
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Alleyne and Innis both entered not-guilty pleas in relation to the charges of drug importation and drug smuggling. Each of them bonded out on a $50,000 amount.
Notably, on October 28, 2023, FRIENDS star Matthew Perry lost his life in a bath tub after injecting a fatal dose of ketamine.
Feds confiscate 134 pounds of ketamine
Court documents say that the two agents were seen removing backpacks and suitcases from Flight 219 and loading them onto a baggage transportation vehicle. They then transported the luggage to a secluded area on the airport tarmac, which raised red flags for authorities. Neither agent had the authorization to handle the luggage, and Alleyne was not even assigned to operate the baggage vehicle at the time, which only heightened suspicion.
Homeland Security investigators were already monitoring the two individuals and moved in after Alleyne and Innis began opening the bags. Inside, they found clear plastic bags containing a white crystallized substance, which later tested positive for ketamine. In total, the agents were found with 134 pounds of the drug, valued at around $3 million on the street.
Four of the suitcases bore luggage tags with the names of two different passengers from the flight, according to court filings. The documents suggest that Alleyne and Innis were not working alone. A source told The New York Post that “it looks like an inside job.”
“That is a very large amount of ketamine,” Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, who is not involved in the case, told NYP. “If I were running that case, I’d be more interested in where it was going rather than where it was coming from because that is what would have the greatest impact on our community.”
Delta Airlines confirmed that Alleyne and Innis had “no legitimate reason” to handle or remove the contents of any checked baggage and that they ” have zero tolerance for unlawful conduct.”