Steroids, Cash Seized By Customs Agents At Dulles Airport

STERLING, VA — Last weekend was a busy one for U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport, where authorities seized more than 12 pounds of illicit steroids in international mail and confiscated almost $12,000 in unreported cash from a traveler.

A South Korean woman, who is a permanent U.S. resident, reported to CBP officers that she had $500 with her. Once officers explained currency reporting requirements to her, she amended her declaration to report that she had $6,000, according to a press release. During an examination of her baggage examination, officers found a total of $11,097 in her bags. Authorities seized all the cash and released the woman.

While it is legal to carry large sums of cash into or out of the country, federal law requires that travelers with $10,000 or more in cash or funds must report it all to a customs officer when entering or leaving the country.

Penalties for violating currency reporting laws may include seizure of most or all of the traveler’s currency, and potential criminal charges.

Also, while inspecting mail that arrived from London on Saturday, CBP officers seized 22 parcels that contained nearly 13 pounds of illicit anabolic steroids. The parcels were supposed to be sent to addresses in Georgia, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia, officials said in a release.

The combined weight of the steroids was 5,800 grams or about 12 pounds, 12 ounces.

Anabolic steroids are considered a Schedule III controlled substance and are illegal to possess without a prescription.

“Customs and Border Protection officers remain committed to intercepting dangerous and unlawful products at our nation’s borders and these anabolic steroid seizures are a testament to that commitment,” said Casey Durst, director of field operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office, in a statement.