Man Busted With $4M Worth Of Ketamine At Detroit Metro Airport: Police

ROMULUS, MI — A man traveling from France was busted carrying 110 pounds of the drug ketamine at Detroit Metro Airport last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced Wednesday.

The United Kingdom citizen arrived at Detroit Metro Airport from France on Dec. 13 when he was selected for a secondary inspection, officials said.

Airport officials scanned and searched two large suitcases, which the traveler claimed a relative gave him, officials said.

Airport officials found "plastic bags filled with large white crystals," which field tests proved was ketamine, officials said.

At $90 per gram, the ketamine load has a street value of over $4 million, officials said.

Customs and Border Protection officers seized the ketamine and refused admission to the traveler, officials said.

He was returned to France, officials said.

"Our drug interdiction mission is vital to protecting our nation and our communities from the dangers of illicit substances," said Acting Port Director John Ammons.

Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance, and although it's accepted for medical use for short-term sedation and anesthesia, it is often abused for its dissociative sensations and hallucinogenic effects, officials said.

The anesthetic drug has also been associated with sexual assault, officials said.

Officials urged travelers to check CBP’s current regulations if they’re unsure what they can bring into the United States.