Illegal Drug Paraphernalia From China Worth $131K Seized At VA Airport

DULLES, VA — Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Washington Dulles International Airport seized a shipment from China Wednesday containing more than 50,000 marijuana atomizers. The shipment was destined for a Manassas address, according to a CBP release.

CBP officials first inspected and detained the shipment on Sept. 8, after it arrived in Virginia on a flight from Japan. In total, the shipment contained 50,400 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) atomizers in 63 boxes.

An atomizer is used to heat liquid in an e-cigarette, which then allows the user to inhale the substance. The atomizers seized by the CBP differed in that they were designed to heat THC liquid. Since U.S. law prohibits the importation of drug paraphernalia, CBP officers seized the shipment, which had an estimated value of $131,000.

“With the enormous popularity in vaping, Customs and Border Protection encourages those who do consume e-cigarette products to be absolutely certain that the product they are inhaling is safe and not manufactured by an unscrupulous vendor in an unregulated facility with unknown products,” said John Jurgutis, acting area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C., in a release. “Ensuring that all imports comply with federal import and safety laws is one way in which CBP protects consumers every day from potentially dangerous products that could cause them harm.”