Cocaine hidden in fake pregnancy belly leads to drug bust

A woman who allegedly pretended to be pregnant to hide cocaine behind a fake baby bump was one of two people arrested in a South Carolina drug bust, officials said.

Anderson County authorities say they recovered more than 1,500 pounds of cocaine during a recent traffic stop involving driver Anthony Miller and the woman, Cemeka Mitchem.

“The first red flag began when the two gave conflicting information about her ‘due date,’” the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday in a Facebook post.

“As Mitchem realized deputies were becoming more suspicious of her conflicting story, Mitchem immediately took off running and very quickly drugs fell from the fake rubber stomach.”

Miller and Micthem, who were pulled over on Interstate 85, face trafficking cocaine charges, according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials shared Miller and Micthem’s mug shots, along with an image of the fake rubber belly recovered by authorities.

Anderson County is in northwestern South Carolina and borders Georgia. Anderson and Clemson are among the cities at least partly in the county.

In March, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said the production and smuggling of cocaine was surging throughout the world after being slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The surge in the global cocaine supply should put all of us on high alert,” said Ghada Waly, the group’s executive director. “The potential for the cocaine market to expand in Africa and Asia is a dangerous reality. I urge governments and others to closely examine the report’s findings to determine how this transnational threat can be met with transnational responses based on awareness raising, prevention, and international and regional cooperation.”