Delta Airlines agents arrested for smuggling $3 million worth of ketamine at JFK Airport, a drug captured by Matthew Perry

On September 19, Leandro Alleyne and Fabian Innis were taken into custody after authorities saw them handling questionable luggage on a flight from Copenhagen, Denmark.

Upon his arrest, Innis admitted to authorities that he had previously participated in the smuggling operation with Alleyne at least five to 10 times. He admitted knowing the bags contained illegal substances but did not know it was ketamine. He also revealed that his pay varied between $4,000 and $5,000 for each flight.

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Alleyne and Innis both pleaded not guilty to drug importation and drug smuggling charges. Each of them paid an amount of $50,000.

Notably, FRIENDS star Matthew Perry died in a bathtub on October 28, 2023 after injecting himself with a fatal dose of ketamine.

FBI seizes 134 pounds of ketamine

Court documents show the two agents were seen removing backpacks and suitcases from Flight 219 and loading them onto a luggage transport vehicle. They then moved the luggage to a secluded area on the airport tarmac, which raised alarm among authorities. None of the agents were authorized to handle the baggage, and Alleyne was not even assigned to operate the baggage vehicle at the time, which only heightened suspicions.

Department of Homeland Security investigators were already monitoring the two people and moved in after Alleyne and Innis began opening the bags. Inside, they found clear plastic bags containing a white crystallized substance that later tested positive for ketamine. In total, the agents were found on the street with 134 pounds of the drug, worth about $3 million.

According to court documents, four of the suitcases had luggage tags with the names of two different passengers on the flight. The documents indicate that Alleyne and Innis did not work alone. A source told The New York Post that “it looks like an inside job.”

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“This 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 leading this case, I would be more interested in where it goes than where it comes from because that would have the biggest impact on our community.”

Delta Airlines confirmed that Alleyne and Innis had “no legitimate reason” to handle or remove the contents of checked baggage and that they “have zero tolerance for unlawful conduct.”