71 Pounds Of Synthetic Stimulants Seized By Customs At Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently intercepted two boxes containing about 71 pounds of a synthetic stimulant in a shipment of beauty supplies from China. The boxes were headed for an address in Washington, D.C.

On June 26, CBP officers at Washington Dulles International Airport seized the shipment of N,N-Dimethylpentylone Hydrochloride, which is a substituted cathinone and a scheduled I controlled substance. Cathinones have psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties similar to amphetamine. They have been sold in powered and tablet forms as ecstasy or molly in U.S., according to CBP.

While inspecting a shipment marked as beauty products from China, CBP officers discovered multiple vacuum-sealed bags containing a white, crystalized substance. With the help of a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool, the officers identified the substance as N,N-Dimethylpentylone Hydrochloride.

After seizing the shipment, which weighed 32.2 kilograms or about 70 pounds, the CBP officers handed it over to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations for further inspections.

“The synthetic stimulant market tries to stay one step ahead of law enforcement by continually tweaking cathinone’s chemical compounds to create new, yet still dangerous, analogues. Customs and Border Protection officers remain committed to protecting our communities by detecting these new illicit psychoactive stimulants and working with our federal, state, and local partners to hold importers accountable,” said Christine Waugh, acting area port director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C., in a release.

Adverse health effects caused by synthetic stimulants like Dimethylpentylone include high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, hyperthermia, dehydration, arrhythmias, hallucinations, loss of consciousness, and death.

Every day, CBP officers seize an average of 2,895 pounds of dangerous drugs every day at U.S. ports of entry.