Nearly $1M in ketamine found smuggled in shipment at Atlanta airport, officials say
ATLANTA - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Atlanta have seized nearly 100 pounds of ketamine they say were hiding in shipments heading through the Atlanta airport from Sweden. Officials say this was a record amount of the club drug to be intercepted.
Officer Jason Hawkins and the Advanced Tactical Counter Enforcement Team (ATCET) team say they were doing a routine X-ray examination of a trash compactor on its way to Colorado when they noticed an anomaly Tuesday.
Investigating further, officers found "numerous bricks" of white powder hidden in the appliance.
Checking a second shipment filled with metal thermoses, CPB officers say they realized that the drink cups had false bottoms that were also hiding white powder.
Both substances tested positive for Ketamine Hydrochloride, a Schedule III non-narcotic drug often used as a club drug.
The shipments of ketamine allegedly smuggled into Atlanta from Sweden. (Customs and Border Protection Agents)
The drug, known on the streets as Special K, has been used by medical professionals to treat mental health disorders, but overdoses can be deadly.
"CBP encounters narcotics and other contraband concealed in an ever-changing variety of items," said Clay Thomas, Atlanta Area Port Director. "Our officers remain vigilant with the use of specialized equipment and their experience to discover these concealment methods to keep dangerous drugs out of our communities."
The street value for the drugs is estimated to be around $985,000. Officials believe it would have been distributed in cities all over the country.
Now Homeland Security must figure out who is behind the illegal drugs.
"We are not the detectives; we find it and then give it to our partners, and they will further go into researching who is responsible," Officer Hawkins said.
Authorities say the drugs will be destroyed.
At this time, no arrests have been made in connection with the discovery and the investigation is ongoing.