U.S. Customs, FDA, seize $688k shipment of potentially harmful supplement

BALTIMORE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration officers sized over 25,000 bottles of a harmful weight-loss supplement, customs said Tuesday.

Officials said that the FDA has not approved the supplement for sale or import into the U.S. 

Packaged as African Black Soap, the boxes actually contained Apetamin, a potentially harmful appetite-stimulating supplement.  

"According to the FDA, Apetamin is a syrupy concoction that contains cyproheptadine, an antihistamine that requires a physician's prescription in the U.S., the amino acid lysine, and vitamins. Apetamin, which may also be found in pill form, is largely marketed on social media to consumers searching for quick weight gains to help achieve a certain "slim thick" physique," customs said.

The FDA issued a warning to consumers last month, stating that Apetamin can cause a list of adverse effects including disorientation and confusion, hallucinations, convulsions, decreased breath and heart rates, coma and death. 

The shipment originated in Ghana, and which was slated to arrive in Bronx, New York.  No arrests have been made as a result of the seizure.