A Spring Hill home that looked ordinary from the street turned out to be the center of a very strange shipment, according to Hernando County deputies. Detectives with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office say a Tuesday morning raid uncovered roughly 11.2 pounds of ketamine tucked inside what appeared to be a crate of wax candles.
Investigators report that the candles had been carefully hollowed out, then stuffed with plastic bags filled with a white, crystal-like powder that field-tested positive for ketamine. Deputies arrested 36-year-old Ting Zheng at the scene without incident. He now faces felony charges that include possession of ketamine with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.
As reported by the Tampa Free Press, deputies discovered the stash while serving a search warrant at the Spring Hill residence, and later weighed the powder at about 11.198 pounds after removing it from the wax shells. The sheriff’s vice and narcotics unit says the investigation began after a tip about large shipments arriving from overseas. The paper also reports that, because of Zheng’s immigration status, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is now tracking the case. Zheng is being held at the Hernando County Detention Center.
Smuggling Pattern by Mail
Detectives say they are now trying to pin down where the package originated and whether Zheng is connected to a larger distribution chain. They are treating the candles-as-contraband approach as part of a broader pattern in which drugs arrive disguised as everyday items.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has documented a series of express-mail seizures that followed a similar playbook, with parcels traveling from Europe to South Florida. In July 2025, officers in Philadelphia intercepted shipments that together totaled about 72 pounds of ketamine, often hidden inside seemingly ordinary goods. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported those seizures as part of a wider trend that has put investigators on alert.
Legal and Immigration Fallout
Zheng faces state felony counts tied to possession of ketamine with intent to sell, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia, and those charges will proceed through Hernando County courts. Because the sheriff’s office notified ICE about his immigration status, any immigration enforcement would move on a separate track, potentially leading to administrative actions in addition to whatever penalties might result from the state case.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation is still active while detectives chase down leads and try to determine whether others were involved.
What Happens Next
For now, Zheng remains in custody and detectives continue to work the case, focusing on who sent the shipment, whether more parcels are in transit and how far the suspected distribution network reaches. Authorities say they are not releasing further details while the probe is ongoing.
