110 Lbs Of Fentanyl Seized At Philadelphia Port: Feds

PHILADELPHIA – More than 100 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the Area Port of Philadelphia on Monday, June 25 and federal official said it has a street value of roughly $1.7 million.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 110 pounds of the deadly opioid that was hidden in a shipment of iron oxide that arrived from China.

Officials discovered the drugs thanks to a narcotics dog what caught the scene of the drugs in the barrels of iron oxide, according to CBP.

Then, officers searched through the barrels and found 50 packages that had sealed bags of a white, powdery substance, CBP said.

The substance was then tested on scene and determined it was fentanyl. Additional testing was done to confirm the substance was the deadly opioid.

The fentanyl weighed a combined 50 kilograms, or 110 pounds.

High purity fentanyl such as this can sell for over $34,000 per kilogram on the street.

"Opioids, including fentanyl and its analogues, are a serious public health concern, and the importation of vast amounts of this deadly synthetic chemical compound is a national security threat," Casey Durst, CBP Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. "Customs and Border Protection remains committed to keeping our communities safe by combatting the flow of illicit drugs, including synthetic opioids, into the United States."

CBP started tracking fentanyl seizures in 2016 and that year officers seized 440 pounds nationally. That number grew to 951 pounds in 2017, and 984 pounds through the end of April 2018, according to the CBP.

Image via Customs and Border Protection