£1m US heroin haul hidden among toddlers' toys

Routine inspection of an express courier package that reached Miami airport uncovered gifts for toddlers and 38lbs (17 kilos) of heroin worth an estimated £1m, Customs officials said.

‘‘It’s one of the largest recent heroin seizures made within the United States, and the largest at Miami International Airport in many, many years,’’ said Zack Mann, spokesman for the US Customs Service.

The heroin shipment, in 16 bricks, reached Miami at about 4.30am local time (9.30am Irish time) yesterday from Bogota, Colombia. No immediate arrests were made.

In keeping with normal procedure, the courier package was taken to the Miami International Courier Association’s processing centre on airport grounds.

There Customs agents checked its contents and found the drugs along with toddler’s sneakers, an infant’s food catcher plastic bib, a children’s toy dish set, and a miniature basketball and hoop set.

Mann said agents at first thought they had found cocaine, the drug most commonly intercepted here on arrival from Latin American points.

‘‘This certainly indicates that more heroin is coming into this country,’’ Mann said. ‘‘We tested every single brick and they all turned out to be heroin.’’

He said a 120lbs (54 kilos) heroin shipment was found on a ship reaching port in New Jersey two weeks ago.

He also noted that the Miami airport has a daily average of two drug arrests, each averaging 1.5 to 4lbs (0.7 to 1.8 kilos) of cocaine or ecstasy, and less often, heroin.

‘‘No one here recalls (a heroin shipment) bigger than this in recent memory,’’ Mann said.

The Miami seizure yesterday could signal an important shift in the international drug trade, he added.

‘‘Historically, heroin comes in from Asia and the Middle East. But this indicates that arrangement might be shifting,’’ Mann said.

Officials refused to name the airline that brought in the drug shipment, saying it was not involved. They also refused to say who the package was addressed to.

‘‘We believe it’s what we call an internal conspiracy,’’ said Mann, ‘‘meaning it was sent to someone who has access at the airport.’’