Chinese man detained in US airport over Chinese medicine

A Chinese man and his 12-year-old daughter were thrown out of the US and banned from returning for five years after trying to bring in 16 bottles of Chinese medicine pills that customs officials discovered were laced with cocaine, according to the World Journal, a Chinese newspaper based in North America.

The man, identified by the newspaper as Wu, was detained by customs officers at Los Angeles International Airport when he was found carrying 16 bottles of compound licorice tablets, Chinese medicine used for treating bronchial asthma, for a friend. However, a survey report by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed the presence of cocaine in the tablets.

Wu was reportedly asked to bring the medicine to a female acquaintance, identified by reports only as Yu, in Los Angeles. She originally told Wu that the medicine was prescribed by a doctor and was safe to use.

Customs officers handcuffed Wu and took him into custody. After hearing about this, Yu and her lawyer arrived at the airport to meet Wu, but they were turned away by authorities. After negotiations, Wu and his daughter were allowed to return to China, but were banned from stepping on US soil for five years.

Chinese traveling abroad with traditional medicine is very common. However, many of them don't declare the medicines to customs.

Lawyer Deng Hong says violators could face huge fines and jail-time if found to be carrying illegal substances into the United States. In light of this, the punishment Wu received is light.

Deng adds that the majority of Chinese traveling with traditional medicines are doing so to help their friends and relatives with health problems. However, Chinese patent medicines are considered as banned substances by US customs, since there is no way to verify the ingredients in the medicines. Customs officers generally confiscate and destroy them, unless their numbers are limited and a legitimate doctor's prescription is attached.

US Customs and Border Protection urges international passengers to declare items when they enter the country. Those medicines without the verification of the FDA should not be brought into the US.