Philadelphian Traveler Arrested for Possession of Illegal Hashish Cakes and Hash Lollipops at PHL

Philadelphia — Customs and Border Protection officers at Philadelphia International Airport arrested a Philadelphia resident on October 3, after the man returned from Amsterdam, the Netherlands with hashish cakes and hashish lollipops. 

CBP officers turned Glenn Factor, 40, over to Tinicum Township Police and seized the hashish products. Factor will be prosecuted locally in Delaware County on narcotics possession charges.

Factor arrived at Philadelphia International Airport about 1:30 p.m. and CBP officers referred him for a secondary inspection. During questioning, Factor allegedly admitted to possessing hashish, hashish cakes and marijuana from Amsterdam. During the baggage exam, CBP officers discovered three hashish cakes and ten hashish lollipops, along with personal use amounts of hashish and marijuana.

Recreational cannabis use remains legal and is regulated in the Netherlands, but illicit narcotics remain illegal in the United States. Amsterdam is home to the annual Cannabis Cup, a period where CBP officers see a slight increase in narcotics and drug paraphernalia possession by returning U.S. citizens.

“It continues to amaze me that travelers risk criminal prosecution in attempts to smuggle narcotics home from Amsterdam and other international destinations with known access to illicit narcotics,” said Allan Martocci, CBP Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “All international travelers are susceptible to CBP inspection. Travelers returning from the Netherlands should take a few minutes to discard their illicit narcotics before boarding their flight home. CBP officers remain committed to weeding out narcotics smuggling attempts at our nation’s ports of entry.”

In addition to narcotics interdiction, CBP routinely conducts enforcement operations on arriving and departing international flights intercepting currency, weapons, prohibited agriculture products and other illicit items.

Travelers are encouraged visit the CBP travel website to learn about rules governing travel to and from the U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.