Israeli authorities have arrested three United Nations workers trying to smuggle liquid cocaine into the country on Sunday in the guise of perfume-making kits. The arrests were made at the Jordan River Customs House along the northern area of the border with Jordan near Beit Shean.

Liquid cocaine is made by dissolving the cocaine into water or certain other liquids and later converting it back to powder form. It can be difficult to detect because the liquid often masks cocaine’s odour. Smugglers often hide it inside shampoo, perfume or syrup containers, or liquor bottles. According to the Israeli Tax Authority, a number of UN workers arrived at the border crossing when a routine inspection raised suspicion about the perfume-making kits.

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Assessments were submitted to a careful examination which included a dog-sniffing test.

The UN employees were arrested and transferred to the police for further investigation.