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Federal agents seized more than 160 pounds of ketamine hydrochloride at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport over a two-day period, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The seizures came from two separate passengers arriving on flights from Paris, France, agents said.
The first discovery happened on Oct. 11, when CBP officers found five large plastic bags containing a crystal-like substance in the luggage of Daijanae Mitchell, an American citizen. The next day, officers intercepted seven similar bags in the luggage of Ryan Mamboula Bokomba, a British citizen.
Using a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool, officers identified the crystal-like substance as ketamine hydrochloride.
The seized drugs have a street value of about $2 million, based on current prices for ketamine.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ketamine can induce sedation, immobility, and pain relief but is often abused for its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects, similar to those of PCP. The drug is used legally in veterinary medicine, but is also known as a club drug and can be smoked, snorted, or mixed into drinks, CBP said.
