Ga. Deputies Seize $2.2 Million in Opium Sent Via Mail

A large shipment of opium arrived at its destination in Auburn, Ga., but deputies made sure that’s as far as it would go.

The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said it seized more that 5,500 grams of opium — with a street value of $2.2 million — and arrested the recipient in an Aug. 5 drug bust at a residence on Oak Ridge in Auburn.

The drugs were in a package that originated in Laos.

De Yang, a 38-year-old woman, was arrested and charged with possession of opium, possession of opium with intent to distribute, and trafficking in opium, according to the sheriff’s office. Yang has been in the Barrow County Jail since her arrest, and was awaiting a bond hearing, according to jail records.

The opium was packaged in more than 200 individual packets, the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.

Opium is a schedule one controlled substance in Georgia and also the primary ingredient in heroin.

Authorities say the bust was the product of a “controlled delivery.”

The Sheriff’s Office was alerted by the Department of Homeland Security about a suspicious package from Laos destined for the Auburn address. U.S. Customs scanned the package in Chicago, detected illegal content and notified Homeland Security.

The sheriff’s office worked with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the package, and executed a search warrant after Yang accepted the delivery. Yang had already opened the box when deputies searched the residence.

The sheriff’s office continues to investigate the case with federal authorities.

(Photo: Opium seized in Aug. 5, 2014 bust. Credit: Barrow County Sheriff’s Office Facebook)