20,000 pills of Zolpidem confiscated.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), working in conjunction with the Zollkriminalamt (German’s Customs Investigation Bureau), have seized a shipment of around 20,000 pills of Zolpidem, with several parcels apparently originating from India.
The seizure of the consignment happened at the San Francisco International Mail Facility.
“We thank our partners in German Customs for their ongoing collaboration,” said Director of Field Operations Robert E. Perez on Monday. “Timely information from Zollkriminalamt and excellent targeting and coordination efforts by CBP’s Pharmaceuticals Center of Excellence and Expertise resulted in this significant interception, keeping these harmful pills off of our streets.”
Zolpidem is considered a “Schedule IV” controlled substance, and unauthorized sale or distribution of the product within the United States is illegal. Despite being used in regulated quantities in several popular medications, such as sleep-aid Ambien, it can also be used for less savory practices, such as recreational use and even as a date-rape drug.
The seizure of Zolpidem was not the first such collaboration between the US and foreign customs forces; in March, the US joined together with the French Customs Fake Medicine Observatory and seized around 400 pills of Carisoprodol, which is another Schedule IV controlled substance.
The US has no plans to stop collaborating with foreign countries, and it appears Germany shares the same spirit, according to German Customs liaison Dr. Ulrike Berg-Haas.
“We look forward to our continued work together [with the US] and are confident that this will not be the last joint operation,” he said.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com