Customs Agents At CVG Find Drugs Bound For Spring Break Destinations

By Mike Perleberg Fentanyl seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. Photo provided. (Hebron, Ky.) – Hundreds of pounds of drugs were seized in a 21 day period from shipments going through The DHL Express consignment facility at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents confiscated 83 shipments at the facility in Hebron between March 6 and 26. “This recent enforcement effort was designed to stem the flow of synthetic narcotics to popular Spring Break destinations,” said Cincinnati Acting Port Director Steven Thompson. “The inherently lethal nature of these designer drugs underscores the importance of these sorts of interceptions, and the importance of our officers’ dedication to finding these potentially deadly substances.” The drugs found included 36 pounds of furanyl fentanyl, a deadly substance often mixed with heroin by drug cartels and dealers. The packages originating from China were falsely labeled as “silicone resin,” “hardware nuts,” “snap hooks,” “plastic sheet sample,” and “nano hydrophobic coatings.”  They were destined for locations across the U.S. and Canada. The seizure was part of a larger law enforcement operation which saw an alleged dealer arrested and another 30 pounds of fentanyl seized. More than 230 pounds of gamma-butyrolactone were also seized. GBL, as it is also known, is a precursor to the date rape drug GHB. Multiple designer drugs such as alpha PVP and N-ethylpentylone were caught by agents. Marketed as bath salts, the drugs can induce hallucinations, paranoia, seizures, and even death.