$1.3 million of 'Special K' drug seized from shipment at Dulles Airport, agents say

DULLES, Va. - Authorities say 46 pounds of ketamine, an animal tranquilizer commonly known on the street as Special K, was seized from an air cargo shipment from Cameroon at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The shipment was found concealed inside a food shipment when it was intercepted on October 10 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists.

The ketamine has a street value of about $1.3 million.

The shipment was labeled as 'Garri and Water FuFu' and was destined to an address in Washington, D.C., officials say. Inside the shipment, specialists found five packages labeled as Water Fufu, a solid porridge made from puree of cassava or other starchy products, and two packages labeled as Garri, flour produced from cassava root. The drugs were found inside those packages.

According to the DEA, ketamine can induce sedation, immobility, and relief from pain. It also has some hallucinogenic effects. Overdoses can lead to nausea, irregular heart rate, muscle stiffening, unconsciousness, and respiratory failure leading to death.

No arrests have been made. The investigation is continuing.

"Transnational criminal organizations continue to employ a variety of tactics to smuggle illicit narcotics into the United States, and our officers proved once again that they are extraordinarily skilled at detecting these concealment methods," said Christine Waugh, Acting Area Port Director for CBP's Area Port of Washington, D.C. in a statement. "We want to assure the public that Customs and Border Protection remains committed to keeping our country and our communities safe from the scourge of dangerous drugs."