U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Philadelphia seized nearly seven pounds of methamphetamine at an international shipping facility in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. The parcel was headed to an address in the Netherlands.
The drugs were found after an x-ray scan revealed something unusual inside the package. CBP officers opened it and found several zip-lock bags containing a cloudy crystalline substance. Using a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool, they identified the substance as d-Methamphetamine hydrochloride.
The total weight of the methamphetamine was 3.05 kilograms, which is almost 6 pounds and 12 ounces. According to authorities, its street value is about $240,000 in the United States and potentially higher in the Netherlands depending on purity.
Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance under U.S. law. The production process often involves toxic and flammable chemicals that can be hazardous to users’ health.
“Customs and Border Protection officers continue to work diligently to hold the line against the scourge of dangerous drugs along our nation’s borders, and we will continue to intercept that illicit poison before it can harm our communities or hurt our friends overseas,” said Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia.
Last year, CBP officers and agents seized an average of 1,571 pounds of dangerous drugs each day at ports of entry across air, sea, and land borders. Officers are responsible for screening travelers and cargo for illegal narcotics as well as other prohibited items such as unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit goods, restricted agricultural products, invasive species, and pests that could pose risks to public safety or economic security.
CBP states that its mission includes enforcing laws related to travel and trade while supporting national security through collaboration and innovation.
More information about CBP’s daily operations can be found at www.CBP.gov.
