| Federal Drug Seizure Report | |
US Customs Service Press Release -- April, 2001
Customs Seizes 18 Kilos of Gift Wrapped Ecstasy
Newark, N.J. -- On March 30, 2001, U.S. Customs inspectors at Newark International Airport seized 18.75 kilos of MDMA, (78,771 ecstasy pills) concealed in the luggage of a Canadian citizen. The estimated street value of the drugs is $1.5 million.
Tuesday Gayle Cabacungan, a 24-year-old dancer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, arrived at Newark International Airport aboard SAS flight # 901 from Copenhagen, Denmark, which originated in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
During a routine examination, Customs inspectors found two gift wrapped packages of unusually heavy weight. Examination of the boxes revealed numerous plastic bags containing pills which field-tested positive for Ecstasy.
The passenger explained to Customs agents that she was to transport the packages of pills to Los Angeles, after receiving plane tickets from an unknown individual at Newark Airport. No further contacts were made and Ms. Cabacungan was arrested.
An individual Ecstasy tablet can be manufactured for as little as 2 cents in the Netherlands and sold for as much as $20 - $45 in the United States. During Fiscal Year 2000, Customs seized 9.3 million Ecstasy tablets. Since October 1, 2000 (FY 2001 to date), Customs has seized more than 3.5 million ecstasy pills nationwide.
Prosecution will be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, N.J
Report Drug Smuggling to 1-800-BE-ALERT or 1-888-NO-DROGA
