California woman arrested with 40 lbs. of marijuana flying into Charleston International Airport

Ashley Nguyen (Al Cannon Detention Center / Getty Images)

A woman from California is facing drug-trafficking charges after she flew into Charleston Wednesday evening with two suitcases filled with more than 40 lbs. of marijuana, according to an incident report from the Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department.

On Wednesday, officers received a tip that someone may be flying into Charleston International Airport with drugs in their possession. As police were at the airport investigating, they received word from an American Airlines ramp employee that a suitcase that had arrived on a flight from Charlotte “smelled like weed.”

Officers responded to the luggage cart and confirmed the suitcase smelled of marijuana, according to the report. The luggage had a tag with the name Ashley Nguyen on it.

Investigators then went to the baggage claim area with a K-9, who alerted to the same red suitcase smelling of marijuana.

When a woman came and picked up the luggage, officers approached her, according to the report. The woman identified herself as Ashley Nguyen, 27, of California.

She said she knew her two bags contained marijuana and that she was supposed to be meeting someone, then gave officers consent to search the locked luggage.

Inside the two suitcases were several vacuum-sealed bags with hard plastic around them. Many of the bags had stickers on them, which read “PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE – GLASS.”

In total, officers recovered 31 vacuum-sealed bags weighing 40.2 lbs.

Nguyen was arrested and transported to the Al Cannon Detention Center, where she was booked early Thursday morning on one count of trafficking marijuana – more than 10 lbs., less than 100 lbs.

As of Friday afternoon, Nguyen remains in custody on $150,000 bond.

Published: October 07, 2022

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