46 Pounds Of Ketamine Worth $1.3M Seized By Customs At Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Washington Dulles International Airport recently seized 46 pounds of ketamine hidden inside a shipment manifested as “Garri and Water FuFu.”

While examining an air cargo shipment from Cameroon on Oct. 10, CBP agricultural specialists found a crystalized white powder hidden inside five packages labeled as Water Fufu, which is a solid porridge made from puree of cassava, and two packages of Garri, a flour made from the cassava root, according to a release.

Testing the white powder, the CBP officials determined that was ketamine hydrochloride, a Schedule III non-narcotic compound under the Controlled Substances Act. Ketamine is an animal tranquilizer known on the street as "Special K," according to the DEA.

Weighing 20.87 kilograms, or 45 pounds and 15 ounces, the ketamine shipment had an estimated street value of about $1.3 million, according to CBP.

“Transnational criminal organizations continue to employ a variety of tactics to smuggle illicit narcotics into the United States, and our officers proved once again that they are extraordinarily skilled at detecting these concealment methods,” said Christine Waugh, acting area port director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C. “We want to assure the public that Customs and Border Protection remains committed to keeping our country and our communities safe from the scourge of dangerous drugs.”

On average, CBP officers and agents seize 2,895 pounds of dangerous drugs every day at U.S. ports of entry.