A passenger arriving at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport from Amsterdam last month was detained after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents discovered more than 7 pounds of heroin hidden in a piece of luggage.
The traveler, a 56-year-old Canadian citizen, was selected for examination after deplaning. While inspecting the traveler’s luggage, a CBP officer discovered a hidden compartment with a cream toned substance inside. The substance later tested positive for heroin.
“This is a testament to how highly dedicated and committed our CBP officers are at disrupting the flow of illicit narcotics into our country,” Kathleen Koetz, director of the Minneapolis Area Port, said. “Even though concealment methods vary and can be extremely difficult to detect, our CBP officers are well trained, experienced and will find this contraband.”
The traveler was held in Hennepin County and referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota for prosecution.
CBP has made improving drug detection, identification and targeting capabilities priorities in recent years. That has been attributed to rising numbers of narcotics seizures. In fiscal year 2013, CBP officers seized just 2 pounds of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. In fiscal year 2017, CBP officers seized approximately 1,485 pounds of fentanyl.