A citizen of the United Kingdom was stopped at Wayne County Detroit Metropolitan Airport after U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted him traveling with suitcases full of ketamine.
The Office of Field Operations seized 110 pounds of the drug packed in the traveler’s baggage.
He was stopped on Dec. 13 after arriving on a flight from France and was selected for a secondary inspection.
An x-ray scan and physical search of two large suitcases, which the man claimed were given to him by a family member, revealed plastic bags filled with large white crystals.
Field tests identified the substance as ketamine.
At $90 per gram, officials said this ketamine load has a street value of over $4 million. CBP officers seized the ketamine and refused admission to the traveler.
He was sent back to France.
“Our drug interdiction mission is vital to protecting our nation and our communities from the dangers of illicit substances,” said Acting Port Director John Ammons.
Ketamine is a schedule III controlled substance, and while accepted for medical use for short-term sedation and anesthesia, it is abused for its dissociative sensations and hallucinogenic effects. The drug made news recently when it was uncovered it was revealed Matthew Perry, 54, the late star of the hit show Friends died from acute effects of it in October.
The anesthetic drug has also been associated with sexual assault.
Travelers can learn about current regulations before attempting to bring certain items into the United States to avoid penalties, seizures, and even arrest.
CBP officers and agents seize an average of 2,895 pounds of dangerous drugs every day at and between the nation’s air, sea, and land ports of entry.