Seattle airport seizes illicit drugs twice in one week from same traveler

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday said it had seized illicit drugs from the same traveler twice in one week at a Seattle airport.

CBP officials seized pounds of ketamine, codeine and gamma hydroxybutyrate, known as “GHB,” from a traveler who entered the United States from Europe then tried to return not long after getting released from jail — only to be caught again with drugs at the same airport, according to a news release.

He was arrested and turned over to the Port of Seattle Police Department and now faces possession charges with the intent to distribute ketamine under Washington state law.

The CBP officers at Seattle Tacoma International’s arrivals facility “work diligently to keep dangerous drugs from the streets of our community,” Brian Humphrey, field operations director at Seattle CBP’s field office, said.

The federal agency says the unidentified 43-year-old male first arrived on July 19 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, when the first seizure took place after he was referred for a secondary inspection.

At his luggage inspection, CBP officers discovered more than 12 pounds of ketamine in both liquid and powder form, about two pounds of codeine and nearly three ounces of GHB.

However, not long after posting bail, the male passenger, who was not identified as a U.S. citizen, was again seen at the airport trying to board a flight to London when CBP officers found more than a half pound of ketamine.

The effort was led by Seattle Area Port Director Rene Ortega.

“CBP officers also utilize their unique border search authority to prevent persons from taking dangerous drugs out of the United States, thus stopping a threat to other countries,” said Humphrey.