04:34 PM MST on Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Arizona Daily Star

For the second time in less than two weeks a person has attempted to smuggle heroin in to the country by hiding it in the soles of his shoes, officials said Tuesday.

A 36-year-old man from Nayarit, Mexico, was arrested Sunday when Customs and Border Protection officers noticed that his shoes had abnormally thick soles, according to a news release from the agency.

During a search, the officers at the Nogales port of entry found more than 2 pounds of heroin, the release said.

The heroin is worth an estimated $140,000, the release said.

On Oct. 14, a 50-year-old man from Sinaloa, Mexico, was arrested when officers found nearly 2 pounds of heroin in the soles of his shoes. He was also attempting to come into the United States.

In the last month, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Nogales port have seized almost 22 pounds of heroin, with an initial estimated value of $1.2 million.

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©The Arizona Daily Star, 2005