Customs confiscates more than $1 Million in Ecstasy tablets

Blaine, Wash. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pacific Highway port of entry arrested a 53-year-old Surrey, British Columbia, man on for attempting to smuggle 107,339 tablets of Ecstasy worth more than $1 million into the United States. Paul Tremblay, a Canadian citizen, was entering Washington State when 69 pounds of Ecstasy was discovered hidden within the spare tire of his 1999 pickup truck. During his initial inspection, Tremblay claimed to be traveling to Las Vegas on a five day vacation. An examination of his truck revealed that the spare tire appeared to be brand new as well as flat. The tire was dismounted from the vehicle and officers were able to determine that foreign objects were present within the spare tire which was then confirmed by x-ray. CBP officers opened the tire, revealing 30 packages of multi-colored tablets which field tested positive for the properties of Ecstasy. Tremblay was immediately taken into custody and turned over to agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution. Ecstasy is produced in non-scientific laboratories with unsafe chemicals by amateur chemists making it a very dangerous drug, said Service Port Director Roderick Blanchard. Ecstasy is the street name for the drug Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and was classified as a Schedule I drug in 1985, meaning it is deemed to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse. Under a United Nations agreement it has also been criminalized in most countries in the world. The long term health effects from abuse of the drug are generally of concern to public health officials.