Philadelphia CBP Officers Busy Seizing Khat, -ËœDate Rape- Chemical, Steroids
Arizona Free Press
← Back to
National News
Philadelphia It has been a busy few weeks for U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Express Mail Consignment facility near Philadelphia International Airport. The six week tally: 17 parcels seized; 63 pounds of Khat (a schedule I narcotic); 6.75 liters of Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL, a precursor chemical to make the date rape drug); and 160 steroidal pills.
The GBL was seized on separate dates in July and August, with the last seizure of 250 ml occurring on August 16. The parcels were shipped from Europe to addresses in the U.S, and in weights of 250 ml or one liter measurements. According to the DEA, GBL
is an industrial solvent commonly used for degreasing engines and stripping wax floors, but when consumed, the human body converts GBL to Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). Sexual predators use GBL and GHB as date rape drugs.
CBP officers in Philadelphia seized almost 7 liters of Gamma-Butyrolactone, an ingredient in date rape drugs.
Last week, CBP officers seized three parcels of Khat that weighed about 38 pounds combined, with an estimated street value of $11,400. The Khat parcels arrived from Africa via the United Kingdom and were destined for Eastern United States cities. Khat is a leafy plant typically found in East Africa and the Saudi Arabian Peninsula that contains an amphetamine-like stimulant that remains potent for up to 48-hours after being harvested. Khat has an estimated street value of $300 per pound.
The steroidal pills were seized in one parcel on July 25. The parcel contained 140 pills of Proviron, 20 pills of Clomifene Citrate and six vials of Gonasi/HCG all pharmaceuticals used by anabolic steroid users.
These officers are charged with targeting and inspecting thousands of arriving international parcels for trade compliance every day and they do a superb job of finding that proverbial illicit needle in the legitimate product haystack, said CBP Philadelphia Area Port Director Allan Martocci. Their targeting success rate remains one of the highest in the country.ÂÂÂ
Sixty-three pounds of the narcotic Khat was seized in Philadelphia before it was able to reach its intended destination.
CBP officers at the Philadelphia Express Mail Consignment facility are ranked sixth nationally in targeting effectiveness of all priority seizures, including counterfeit monetary instruments, intellectual property rights violations, and illicit narcotics. They pour over dozens of international shipment manifests daily representing thousands of packages that arrive by airplane from overseas origins to determine which packages require further scrutiny. About 93 percent of packages they examine resulted in seized narcotics, counterfeit consumer good, or counterfeit monetary instruments.
CBP officers here have made 43 Khat seizures during 2008 weighing about 876 pounds with an estimated street value of approximately $263,000. Additionally, CBP officers made 17 seizures of counterfeit monetary instruments valued at $210,250 so far this year.
CBP officers take very seriously our mission of protecting the American people and business from people and things that intend to cause us harm, said Martocci. Each one of these successful interdictions has kept bad things from hurting good people.ÂÂÂ
CBP officers in Philadelphia seized almost 7 liters of Gamma-Butyrolactone, an ingredient in date rape drugs.
Last week, CBP officers seized three parcels of Khat that weighed about 38 pounds combined, with an estimated street value of $11,400. The Khat parcels arrived from Africa via the United Kingdom and were destined for Eastern United States cities. Khat is a leafy plant typically found in East Africa and the Saudi Arabian Peninsula that contains an amphetamine-like stimulant that remains potent for up to 48-hours after being harvested. Khat has an estimated street value of $300 per pound.
The steroidal pills were seized in one parcel on July 25. The parcel contained 140 pills of Proviron, 20 pills of Clomifene Citrate and six vials of Gonasi/HCG all pharmaceuticals used by anabolic steroid users.
These officers are charged with targeting and inspecting thousands of arriving international parcels for trade compliance every day and they do a superb job of finding that proverbial illicit needle in the legitimate product haystack, said CBP Philadelphia Area Port Director Allan Martocci. Their targeting success rate remains one of the highest in the country.ÂÂÂ
Sixty-three pounds of the narcotic Khat was seized in Philadelphia before it was able to reach its intended destination.
CBP officers at the Philadelphia Express Mail Consignment facility are ranked sixth nationally in targeting effectiveness of all priority seizures, including counterfeit monetary instruments, intellectual property rights violations, and illicit narcotics. They pour over dozens of international shipment manifests daily representing thousands of packages that arrive by airplane from overseas origins to determine which packages require further scrutiny. About 93 percent of packages they examine resulted in seized narcotics, counterfeit consumer good, or counterfeit monetary instruments.
CBP officers here have made 43 Khat seizures during 2008 weighing about 876 pounds with an estimated street value of approximately $263,000. Additionally, CBP officers made 17 seizures of counterfeit monetary instruments valued at $210,250 so far this year.
CBP officers take very seriously our mission of protecting the American people and business from people and things that intend to cause us harm, said Martocci. Each one of these successful interdictions has kept bad things from hurting good people.ÂÂÂ