Cow dung cakes found in luggage at Washington Dulles International Airport

STERLING, Va. (WBFF) - Customs and Border Protection made a smelly find inside luggage left behind at Washington Dulles International Airport - cakes of cow dung.

Agents discovered the cow dung after passengers cleared the inspection area on April 4, 2021.

Cow dung is reported to be a vital energy and cooking source in some parts of the world. Cow dung has also been reportedly used as a skin detoxifier, an antimicrobial, and as a fertilizer.

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Despite these alleged benefits, cow dung from India is prohibited due to the potential introduction of Foot and Mouth disease.

“Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most, has grave economic consequences, and it is a critical threat focus of Customs and Border Protection’s agriculture protection mission,” said Keith Fleming, Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office, said in a news release. “CBP’s agriculture specialists are our nation’s frontline protectors of vital agricultural and natural resources that help keep our nation’s economy strong and robust.”

CPB destroyed the cow dung cakes.

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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foot and Mouth Disease is a worldwide concern. It can spread widely and rapidly and causes significant economic losses to livestock populations. A single detection of Foot and Mouth Disease will likely stop international livestock trade completely until authorities can eradicate the disease threat.

The United States has been FMD free since 1929.

According to a spokesperson for CBP, agents regularly inspect baggage left behind.

They say there are several reasons why CBP sees leftover baggage after flights clear. These include:

• misrouted baggage
• baggage that arrives on an earlier or later flight than the owner
• a traveler forgetting their baggage
• a traveler deliberately leaves their baggage if they are close to missing their connecting flight
• a drug courier getting cold feet if there’s too many CBP officers roving around
• a traveler grabs the wrong (someone else’s) baggage