Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills concealed in yarn seized at Dulles International Airport

Customs agents intercept drug smuggling attempt

Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills that were concealed in yarn were seized at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Authorities say U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents confiscated the pills on January 16 during a routine inspection of a shipment of yarn from India. The initial discovery was made in December.

Officials say nearly 70,000 Zolpidem Tartrate pills, the generic name for the drug, were found inside 96 rolls of black yarn spooled around pink tubes at an air cargo warehouse at the airport.

Seized pills valued at $33,000; hidden in 96 yarn rolls

The pills weigh 60 pounds and are valued at about $33,000.

"This is a very bold attempt to smuggle a significant amount of prescription medicine into the United States, but this creative concealment method failed to fool Customs and Border Protection officers," said Christine Waugh, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. in a statement. "CBP officers are committed to protecting the public by intercepting illicit and potentially dangerous products that arrive at our nation’s ports of entry every day."

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Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills concealed in yarn seized at Dulles International Airport (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

The Source: Information in this article comes from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and FOX 5 reporting.

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