Border Patrol K-9 Sniffs Nearly $ 2 Million in Fentanyl Shipped From China

Authorities at a Pennsylvania customs port recently seized nearly $ 2 million worth of fentanyl smuggled by mail from China.

CBP agents discovered the shipment on Friday during a review of a Chinese cargo. iron oxide. One unit of CBP K-9 alerted officers to the presence of narcotics, and subsequent research revealed 50 packs individually wrapped in a white powder, later identified as fentanyl, reported PhillyVoice.

The packages contained a total of 110 pounds of fentanyl, with an estimated market value of approximately $ 1.7 million. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid about 30 to 50 times more potent than pure heroin, is considered to be the main cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States (RELATED: Sessions announces charges against 601 people in the largest health fraud)

"Opioids, including fentanyl and its analogues, constitute a serious public health problem and the importation of large quantities of this deadly chemical compound constitutes a threat to national security, "Casey Durst, director of field operations in Baltimore for CBP, told PhillyVoice. "Customs and Border Protection remain committed to keeping our communities safe by fighting illicit drugs, including synthetic opioids, in the United States."

A Federal Drug Task Force recently seized enough The agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) working group in Columbus, Ohio, executed a search warrant at a local residence on June 25, where they seized approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine, 10 ounces of L & M. Heroin and 10 kilograms of fentanyl

Fentanyl seizure was sufficient to kill about 5 million people, since only 2 milligrams of analgesic can cause an adult overdose of death.

Opioid seizures by police officers nearly doubled from 579 pounds in 2013 to 1,135 pounds in 2017, a recent report from Missouri's Democratic senator shows Claire McCaskill. Heroin continues to be the most common opioid that crosses the border, with seizures increasing by 73% in 2017 to reach 662 pounds. Fentanyl seizures increased by 72% in 2017.

Drug overdose is now the leading cause of unintentional death among Americans under 50, killing more than 64,000 in 2016.