The US Drug Enforcement Agency reportedly alerted Colombian authorities to their suspicions about Australian woman Cassandra Sainsbury.
Sainsbury, 22, was arrested at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota on April 12 after a tip-off about the 5.8kg of cocaine allegedly hidden inside 18 headphone boxes in her suitcase.
"We found her because of an alert from the DEA," Bogota airport's narcotics chief, Commander Rodrigo Soler, told News Corp Australia.
WATCH: New images released of arrested Australian
He said she had cleared security and checked her bag when the alert came up.
"The alert said check this person so we pulled her aside and we searched her luggage and we arrested her. We asked 'is this your bag, did you pack this?'. She said 'yes'."
Soler told The Australian Sainsbury's ticket, which was bought by an unknown party, was one of several red flags that caused North American agencies to alert Colombian police.
The Adelaide woman's family insists she is innocent and was set up by a Colombian man she met after arriving in the South American country on April 3 during a working holiday.
They say she bought the headphones from him to give as gifts to family and friends at her upcoming wedding.
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