ROMULUS, Mich. – Roughly $4 million worth of ketamine was intercepted and seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Detroit Metro Airport.
According to authorities, a United Kingdom citizen flew in from France on Dec. 13 and was selected for secondary inspection. A search of two large suitcases reportedly revealed plastic bags filled with large white crystals.
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The man said the suitcases were packed by a family member.
CBP said the substance was tested and revealed to be 110 pounds of ketamine, which has an estimated street value of more than $4 million.
The man was denied entrance to Michigan and returned to France.
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance abused for its dissociative sensations and hallucinogenic effects. The drug is used regularly in veterinary medicine and surgical anesthesia in war zones. It is accepted for medical use for short-term sedation and anesthesia and has seen an uptick in usage recently as doctors in the United States scale back the use of opioid painkillers.
It is believed to have been a factor in the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry.
Travelers are urged to check CBP’s current regulations if they’re unsure what they can bring into the United States.
