STERLING, Va. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) officers seized a shipment of 3,738 glass bongs and $23,641 in unreported currency at Washington Dulles International Airport last week.
The bongs initially arrived from China on Oct. 3, manifested as "gravity pipes." Officers detained the shipment and submitted documentation to international trade experts within the agency.
On Nov. 17, CBP import specialists appraised the shipment at $56,033 and confirmed that the bongs violated U.S. laws on the importation of drug paraphernalia. Officials completed the seizure on Monday, Nov. 22.
The bongs were destined for an address in Los Angeles, California, CBP officers said.
In addition to the glass bongs, CBP officers seized unreported currency while conducting enforcement operations on a Ghana-bound flight. A married couple reported that they had a combined $10,500. While inspecting a carry-on bag, officers discovered an envelope concealed behind the bag's zippered liner. Officers verified the couple's combined currency at $23,641.
CBP is not releasing the travelers’ names because none were criminally charged.
“The seizures of glass bongs and unreported currency may seem innocuous at first; however, they illustrate the resolve and commitment that Customs and Border Protection officers and specialists demonstrate every day to enforce our nation’s laws, to enhance our nation’s economic vitality through lawful international trade and travel, and to help keep our citizens safe,” said Daniel Escobedo, CBP Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. in a press release.
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