U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati seized a shipment on Dec. 4 containing 30,000 Tramadol tablets, a schedule IV substance under the Controlled Substance Act.
The shipment was arriving from Barbados and destined for an address on St. Kitts-Nevis Island. Officers inspected the shipments to determine the admissibility of the parcel and its contents and found small boxes of 30 push pill tabs, for a total of 30,000 tablets. The 50mg tablets of Tramadol have an approximate street value of $150,000.
“Most people hear about CBP seizing narcotics shipments,” said Director of Field Operations LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Chicago Field Office. “However, shipments of illegal prescription pills are very dangerous too. These pills were not regulated by the FDA and can contain harmful chemicals that could be poisonous.”
This medication is used to help relieve moderate to moderately severe pain. Tramadol is similar to opioid analgesics. It works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain. Tramadol is most commonly abused by narcotic addicts, chronic pain patients, and health professionals. For the stated reasons of its abuse, Tramadol is a Schedule IV substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
The original announcement can be found here.