Customs Director Jose C. Mafnas told the media on Friday morning that “for the past four-five weeks, we had been intercepting illicit drugs at the post office, but we did not move in immediately — we wanted to make sure we give time for investigation prior to an arrest, and not just confiscate the drug. We waited until the suspect claimed the package and then from there we made an arrest.”
He said the “ice” was in one package, but he did not identify the suspect or suspects.
Mafnas said Saipan postal service staffers and postmaster Harry Wilcox assisted and cooperated with Customs officers who are given an opportunity to inspect packages and other mail before being released to their owners.
Mafnas said most of the illicit drugs intercepted lately were sent through P.O. boxes.
In the past, Mafnas said, Customs intercepted cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD through the U.S. Postal Service.
In those cases, more than one person was involved, he added.
From left, Secretary of Finance David DLG Atalig, Customs Director Jose C. Mafnas, and Customs official Reina C. Camacho smile during a press conference on Friday at the Customs Seaport office. Photo by Bryan Manabat
Based on his experience, he said, illicit drugs enter through the islands’ ports. “That is why we fully man all NMI ports including on Tinian and Rota,” he added.
The drug of choice is still “ice,” but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, shipping operations from Asia have slowed down and illicit drugs are now coming from the mainland U.S. Mafnas said.
According to Customs, the division intercepted 44.1 grams of “ice” in May 2020, while in September 2020, it intercepted 65 grams of “ice.”
Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig, for his part, acknowledged the good work that Customs is doing in intercepting illicit drugs.
“We are not only fighting the pandemic, but we are also fighting illegal drugs to keep them off our streets,” said Atalig.
He noted that the prices of illegal drugs are high, “which indicates the great job that Customs is doing…if illicit drugs are cheap, then we have a problem.”
Atalig said because of the pandemic “we have…a high number of online orders coming from outside vendors through our post office so we are finding a lot more activity done online and through the mail. They try to squeeze in [illegal drugs when] sending packages.”
Atalig and Mafnas also commended the important roles played by the CNMI Drug Enforcement Task Force, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and other agencies for a successful investigation and the arrest of the drug suspects.
