Delaware customs agents seize 14 ounces of poppy pods

June 2 (UPI) -- Customs and Border Protection agents in Wilmington, Del., seized an illicit shipment of poppy pods Wednesday.

"Officers inspected the express delivery shipment, which arrived from the United Kingdom and was manifested as 'Dried Cones Bulbs for Bouquets and Ornamental,'" CBP said in a news release Friday. "Inside the box, CBP officers discovered three paper bags that contained a combined 4.5 kilograms, or 9 pounds, 14 ounces of poppy pods."

The CBP said the poppy pods were being sent to an address in Dover, Del.

Poppy pods can be legally imported by pharmaceutical companies that use extracts to manufacture medicine.

According to CBP, "some consumers illegally import opium poppy pods to brew into a tea. The poppy plant, including poppy pods, poppy straw, and poppy straw concentrate in either liquid, solid, or powder form are controlled under Schedule II of the federal Controlled Substances Act."

Some people have died from drinking poppy tea, according to the Justice Department.

"Communities across the United States continue to struggle with the opioid epidemic, and some individuals unnecessarily risk their health and safety illegally importing opium poppy pods," said CBP Wilmington, Del., Port Acting Director Erik Kelling.

Customs agents intend to destroy the seized poppy pods.

The agency seized an average of 2,895 pounds of drugs per day in 2022.