Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport uncovered nearly 70,000 Zolpidem Tartrate pills hidden within a shipment of yarn from India. The discovery occurred on January 16 after an initial examination of the shipment on December 17. The yarn was bound for Buena Park, California.
The shipment contained 96 rolls of black yarn wrapped around pink tubes. Officers found blister packs of pills taped to the tubes inside each roll. The pills, labeled as Zolpidem Tartrate or Ambien, are classified by the DEA as a Schedule IV controlled substance used to treat insomnia.
In total, officers seized 69,813 pills weighing 60 pounds with a domestic value of approximately $33,000.
“This is a very bold attempt to smuggle a significant amount of prescription medicine into the United States," said Christine Waugh, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C., noting that the concealment method failed to deceive officers.
CBP's mission includes screening international travelers and cargo for illicit items such as narcotics and counterfeit goods. U.S. Customs and Border Protection operates as America's largest law enforcement organization focused on border management and national security.
