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Philadelphia CBP Discovers Dangerous Ketamine inside an Ottoman destined to Maryland

Release Date
Thu, 02/23/2023

PHILADELPHIA – One month after discovering ketamine concealed inside candles, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia discovered an additional ketamine load concealed inside an ottoman.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia intercepted ketamine on February 10, 2023, that was concealed inside an ottoman that was being shipped from Belgium to an address near Washington, D.C.
CBP officers discovered ketamine, a dangerous substance that has been used to facilitate sexual assault, concealed inside support parts of an ottoman from Belgium.

While inspecting international express delivery parcels on February 10, CBP officers examined a box labeled as a storage ottoman because it felt heavier than an ottoman should. Officers probed structural pieces of the ottoman and discovered a white powdery substance that officers identified as ketamine hydrochloride by using a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool.

The parcel was shipped from Brussels, Belgium and was destined to an address near Washington, D.C.

CBP officers kept the ottoman and ketamine intact and turned the parcel over to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) who continue to investigate.

The ottoman pieces that concealed the ketamine weighed a combined 7.23 kilograms, or about 16 pounds.

Ketamine hydrochloride is a Schedule III non-narcotic compound regulated under the Controlled Substances Act.

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. It has recently been used by medical professionals for mental health and substance use disorders. Ketamine is abused for its ability to induce dissociative sensations and hallucinations, and has also been used to facilitate sexual assault. Typically, ketamine abuse occurs among teens and young adults at nightclubs and private parties. Overdoses can lead to nausea, irregular heart rate, muscle stiffening, unconsciousness, and respiratory failure leading to death.

“Transnational criminal organizations continue to employ a variety of tactics to smuggle illicit narcotics into the United States, but Customs and Border Protection officers are highly skilled at detecting their concealment methods,” said Joseph Martella, Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Philadelphia. “We want to assure the public that CBP remains committed to keeping our country and our communities safe from the scourge of dangerous drugs.”

CBP officers and agents seized an average of 2,895 pounds of dangerous drugs every day at our nation’s air, land and sea ports of entry. See what else CBP accomplished during "A Typical Day" in 2022.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation’s Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

Learn more at www.CBP.gov.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office on Twitter at @DFOBaltimore for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos, and CBP’s Office of Field Operations on Instagram at @cbpfieldops.

Last Modified: Apr 11, 2023