Lollipops filled with heroin were discovered at Washington Dulles International Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported Thursday.
A man brought them in on a flight from El Salvador. He was flagged as a business courier, which meant his packages had to go through a routine secondary examination.
A CBP officer smashed one of the colorful lollipops during the extra security check and found the hollowed-out candies were filled with powder.
The substance tested positive for heroin.
Officers seized 1.56 pounds of heroin from the lollipops.
After an extensive interview with the man, investigators determined he was unaware the candy contained illegal drugs, CBP said. He’s not facing charges. However, he will have to get another visa to re-enter the U.S.
“CBP officers routinely inspect items upon entry to the U.S.,” said Wayne Biondi, Area Port Director for the Port of Washington-Dulles. “In this case, our search revealed illicit narcotics from entering the United States and ultimately our communities.”
This seizure was just a fraction of the illicit narcotics CBP detects. According to CBP, on a typical day, officers seize an average of 9,435 pounds of illegal drugs.
