Authorities said Wednesday they intercepted the shipment of the synthetic drug after it arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday on an Air France plane from Paris. The tablets were packed in 15 boxes labeled pencils. The drugs were delivered and four suspects arrested. The drug is said to cause brain damage and have other side effects. Ecstasy is chemically known as MDMA for Methylenedioxymethylamphetamine.
Users normally experience feelings of euphoria and an increased desire to interact socially.
Blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature increase dramatically. Seizures of Ecstasy in the United States have increased dramatically over the past year. The Customs Service said it had seized nearly 8 million tablets over the last 10 months compared to 3.5 million tablets in 1999. CNN Correspondent Jim Moret and Reuters contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.