Philadelphia CBP Seizes 6 Gallons of Florida-Bound ‘Coma in a Bottle’

HI INDIA NEWS DESK
PHILADELPHIA, PA – On April 22, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Philadelphia seized two separate shipments of gamma butyrolactone (GBL), also known as liquid ecstasy and “coma in a bottle.” The six gallons of GBL arrived from France and were destined for an address in Hillsborough County, Florida.

GBL is a DEA Schedule I controlled substance that is used as a precursor chemical to the highly addictive central nervous system depressant, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). GHB is a date-rape drug used by sexual predators and also by bodybuilders to increase growth hormone. When used improperly, GBL can cause serious health consequences, including respiratory distress, coma, and death.

CBP officers identified the opaque liquid inside each shipment as GBL using a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool. The agency’s border security mission aims to search suspect international parcels and intercept dangerous products that could seriously harm American citizens. CBP officers and agents seize an average of 2,895 pounds of dangerous drugs every day at our nation’s air, land, and sea ports of entry.