CBP seizes nearly 70,000 Ambien pills hidden in yarn at Dulles International Airport

Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills hidden inside yarn were seized at Washington Dulles International Airport. According to authorities, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted the pills on January 16 during a routine inspection of a yarn shipment from India. The initial detection occurred in December.   Officials reported that approximately 70,000 Zolpidem Tartrate pills, the generic form of the medication, were discovered concealed inside 96 rolls of black yarn wrapped around pink tubes at an air cargo warehouse at the airport.   The seized pills had a total weight of 60 pounds and were estimated to be worth around $33,000.   "This is a very bold attempt to smuggle a significant amount of prescription medicine into the United States, but this creative concealment method failed to fool Customs and Border Protection officers," said Christine Waugh, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. in a statement. "CBP officers are committed to protecting the public by intercepting illicit and potentially dangerous products that arrive at our nation’s ports of entry every day."   Officers initially examined the shipment on December 17 at an air cargo warehouse near Washington Dulles International Airport. The package, which contained 96 rolls of black yarn wrapped around pink tubes, was intended for delivery to an address in Buena Park, California.   During the inspection, CBP officers unraveled the black yarn from one of the tubes and found multiple 10-pill blister packs taped to the pink tube inside.   The pills were labeled as Zolpidem Tartrate, more commonly known as Ambien. The DEA classifies Zolpidem as a Schedule IV controlled substance. This medication, part of the sedative-hypnotic drug class, is prescribed by doctors to treat insomnia.

if you want to get more information about this news then click on below link

More Detail