21 kg of ketamine concealed in air cargo
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized about 21 kg of ketamine, an animal tranquiliser abused by users, in an air cargo shipment from Cameroon on 10 October 2023 at Washington Dulles International Airport.
CBP agriculture specialists intercepted the ketamine in five of seven bags of Garri and Water FuFu from Cameroon. They alerted CBP officers that they discovered five bundles containing a crystalised white powder.
CBP officers tested the substance with a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool and identified the substance as ketamine hydrochloride. According to the DEA, ketamine, commonly known on the street as Special K, is used in both human and veterinary medicine to induce sedation, immobility, and relief from pain.
The ketamine weighed 20.8 kg, or 45 pounds and 15 ounces, and had a street value of about USD 1.3 million. No arrests have been made, but the investigation continues. (cj)