Authorities say they prevented a United Kingdom man from bringing about 110 pounds of the drug ketamine into Detroit Metropolitan Airport last week, a haul which they estimate has a street value of $4 million.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection say the incident happened on Dec. 13, when an X-ray scan detected suspicious packages in two large suitcases belonging to a man who arrived on a flight from France. When questioned, the man claimed the suitcases were given to him by a family member. A physical inspection found the luggage was full of plastic bags filled with white crystals, which field tests later revealed to be ketamine, valued at $90 per gram.
CBP officers say they seized the contraband and the traveler was sent back to France.
“Our drug interdiction mission is vital to protecting our nation and our communities from the dangers of illicit substances,” CBP acting port director John Ammons said in a statement.
A Schedule III controlled substance, ketamine can be used as an anesthesia and treatment for depression. As a street drug, ketamine is used to produce a dissociative state, and at high enough doses, users may experience what is called the “K-hole,” or visual and auditory hallucination. Billionaire Elon Musk is said to be a fan of ketamine, which honestly would explain a recent Last Week Tonight with John Oliver segment.
The CBP says it seizes an average of 2,895 pounds of illegal drugs every day.
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