Controlled mental health drug seized in East China

JINAN - Customs office of eastern China's coastal city of Qingdao seized 1,000 pills of unlawfully smuggled modafinil, a strictly controlled substance in China, the customs office announced on Thursday.

The ten boxes of modafinil were found in inbound mail during a routine check. Each pill weighs 200 mg, customs officers said, adding that it was the first time the customs office seized modafinil.

Modafinil has been under strict control in China as a Class I psychotropic drug. Mistakenly considered a "smart drug" to improve cognitive skills and concentration, the stimulant is puffed up to raise school records in the short term, regardless of its undesirable side effects and drug dependence.

China has carried out a strict classification of psychotropic drug control with warnings against mailing psychotropic drugs into and out of the country without approval.