U.S. Customs seizes nearly $500,000 worth of synthetic pot from IAH

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The U.S. Customs and Border Protection says officers seized nearly a half-million dollars worth of synthetic marijuana at George Bush Intercontinental Airport over the course of two days.

On Thursday, CBP officers confiscated 22 pounds of AB-Chminaca, a synthetic cannabis typically used in e-cigarette devices. The shipment was identical to another 22-pound package seized the day before.

Officers were on the lookout for the packages after receiving intelligence from colleagues in Miami and Cincinnati.

The packages were shipped through a private international mail service and marked as printing ink filler; however, they were actually full of plastic bags containing the illegal white powdery substance.

"This synthetic drug is a dangerous narcotic and is illegal to use, distribute or purchase," said Houston CBP Port Director Charles Perez. "These seizures reflect our commitment to disrupting transnational criminal activity. Attempting to use a private mail service to deliver this narcotic does not make the practice legal."

The seized narcotic was turned over to the Houston Police Department.