Chinese national on U.S. work visa accused of hiding drugs inside hollowed-out candles in Hernando County
Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
SPRING HILL, Fla. - A Chinese national who was in the country on a work visa was arrested in Spring Hill after deputies say he had drugs mailed to him from outside the United States, concealed them inside hollowed out candles and intended to sell them.
What we know:
According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, detectives got a tip that someone at a Spring Hill home on Tiburon Avenue was getting a large amount of ketamine hydrochloride through the mail from outside of the United States.
While searching the home, investigators said they found a package with 20 large wax candles that had been hollowed out and used to hide multiple bags of a white, crystal-like substance that tested positive for ketamine.
Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
After the ketamine was removed from the candles, deputies said it weighed about 11 pounds.
Ting Zheng was arrested and charged with possession with intent to sell ketamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Zheng is a Chinese citizen who was in the United States on a work visa.
Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Offic
Due to the nature of the charges, HCSO contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE said it was aware of the arrest and will be monitoring Zheng’s case for potential immigration enforcement action, including the possibility of a future detainer.
What we don't know:
It is unclear what Zheng intended to do with the ketamine.
What's next:
Detectives are still working to determine the origin of the drugs.
What is ketamine?
Ketamine is a powerful dissociative anesthetic that is legally used in medical and veterinary settings for anesthesia, pain management, and certain emergency procedures.
In recent years, it has also been prescribed in controlled medical environments for treatment-resistant depression and other mental health conditions.
READ: Illicit use of ketamine on the rise in Polk County, harm reduction specialist says
According to HCSO, outside of legitimate medical use, ketamine is frequently abused as an illicit street drug due to its hallucinogenic and sedative effects.
Ketamine has also been commonly associated with drug-facilitated sexual assaults, often referred to as a "date rape" drug, as it can cause confusion, memory loss, and physical incapacitation when ingested without a person's knowledge or consent.
The Source: This article was written with information provided by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office in a press release.