Blaine customs officers snare 27 pounds of Ecstasy in bust

PETER JENSEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BLAINE - A Canadian man who told customs officers he was driving to Seattle to purchase healing crystals instead earned a trip to jail when 27 pounds of Ecstasy were discovered in his gas tank, officials said.

Amar Dutt, 69, of Surrey, B.C., drove his minivan to the Pacific Highway crossing Friday evening, May 29, and told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers of his travel plans, Chief Tom Schreiber said.

A U.S. Border Patrol drug-sniffing dog interrupted those plans when it detected drugs in Dutt's gas tank. Officers removed several vacuum-sealed bags containing more than 48,000 Ecstasy tablets, worth about $500,000 street value, Schreiber said.

Dutt was arrested and booked into the Whatcom County Jail. He has since been transferred into the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents.