Over 5 pounds of 'liquid ecstasy' found on traveler at Atlanta airport, CPB says
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
ATLANTA - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say they seized more than 5 pounds of a chemical known as "liquid ecstasy" from a traveler who landed at the Atlanta airport.
On Wednesday, officers stopped a 26-year-old U.S. citizen who had arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on a flight from Spain.
While inspecting the traveler's luggage, officials say they found two bottles of clear liquid that together filled measured about two and a half quarts.
Testing revealed that the substance was allegedly gamma-Butyrolactone, which officials say is a highly addictive industrial chemical solvent known on the street as liquid ecstasy and "coma in a bottle."
The drug, known as GBL, can cause health conditions including respiratory distress, coma, and death. It's also a precursor chemical to gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, which is used as a date-rape drug.
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
"Our CBP officers are highly trained to uncover various methods used to conceal controlled substances," said John Quintana, CBP Atlanta Acting Area Port Director. "This seizure is a testament to our officers’ expertise in detecting illicit substances and the use of technology to identify and stop dangerous substances from making its way into our communities."
The traveler, whose identity has not been released, was turned over to the Clayton County Police Department.
The CBP says its officers and agencies seize an average of 2,895 pounds of drugs every day at air, land and seaports of entry.