A Transportation Security Administration officer checks luggage at the Juneau International Airport in March. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

A Transportation Security Administration officer checks luggage at the Juneau International Airport in March. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Washington man arrested on drug charges at airport

Police seize narcotics with an estimated value of $110,000.

A Washington man was arrested on Wednesday night on drug charges at the Juneau International Airport, under the suspicion of transporting controlled substances from his home state, according to the Juneau Police Department.

Kory Christopher Hawthorne, 36, was charged with two counts of second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance — a class A felony — and one count of third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance – a class B felony.

On Wednesday at approximately 10:30 p.m., members of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs task force contacted Hawthorne at the Juneau International Airport as he exited a plane, according to JPD. SEACAD officers contacted Hawthorne on suspicion of transporting controlled substances from Washington state to Juneau.

During SEACAD’s investigation, officers found approximately 5,000 blue pills with the imprint M/30, suspected of containing fentanyl, 22.21 grams of fentanyl powder and 450 grams of methamphetamine in Hawthorne’s luggage, according to police. Hawthorne was placed under arrest and taken to Lemon Creek Correctional Center.

The seized narcotics have an estimated street value of approximately $110,000, according to police.

•Contact reporter Jonson Kuhn at jonson.kuhn@juneauempire.com.

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