Authorities Seize 205 Pounds of Raw Opium at JFK Airport

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency says 205 pounds of raw opium was discovered January 21 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The drug, which is often used to make heroin, was hidden inside more than 30 porcelain cats that were shipped from Thailand and addressed to a property in New York. Authorities estimate the figurines held about $9 million worth of opium.

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was unusual to find opium. "Most times we find cocaine and heroin. Opium was kind of unusual to find, especially in that quantity,” said John Saleh.

No one has been arrested in connection with the shipment.

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