WASHINGTON: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) at Washington Dulles International Airport seized more than one pound of heroin from a Salvadoran man last week. The heroin concealed inside lollipops.
The man, who requested entry as a courier on business, arrived on a flight from El Salvador. As a courier, he was referred for a routine secondary examination to have his packages inspected. These inspections ensure that the contents comply with all laws and regulations, according to CBP. A secondary inspection on of bags of candy by a CBP officer resulted in the discovery of 709 grams, or 1.56 pounds, of a powdery substance that field tested positive for the properties of heroin concealed inside the candy shell of lollipops. After extensive interviews with the courier, authorities were satisfied that he was an unwitting accomplice and he was not criminally charged. However, CBP found him inadmissible and he will have to obtain another visa in order to re-enter the United States in the future.
The Privacy Act prohibits releasing the man’s name since he was not criminally charged. “CBP officers routinely inspect items upon entry to the U.S.,” said Wayne Biondi, area port director for the Port of Washington-Dulles, in a prepared statement. “In this case, our search revealed illicit narcotics from entering the United States and ultimately our communities.” On a typical day, CBP seizes an average of 9,435 pounds of illicit narcotics, according to the agency.
