Shipment Of Bongs Valued At $143K Seized At Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — Customs and Border Protection officials seized nearly $143,000 in smoking bongs Wednesday in an air cargo shipment arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport from China, according to a CBP release.

Customs officials examined the shipment, which left China on Sept. 8, and discovered 41 boxes containing 8,387 glass and silicone smoking pipes and bongs. The importation of drug paraphernalia is prohibited by federal law. The shipment was on its way to Los Angeles County, California. CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center for Excellence and Expertise appraised the shipment at $142,495.

“Customs and Border Protection remains committed to facilitating lawful trade while identifying consumer goods that violate U.S. laws or illicit products that can potentially harm our nation’s citizens,” said Casey Durst, director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office. “Legitimate international trade helps to sustain our nation’s economic vitality and security.”

CBP processed 97,342 entries of merchandise worth about $7.3 billion on a typical day in 2019, collecting $224 million in duties, taxes and other fees.