From left, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas, Division of Customs and Biosecurity Director Jose C. Mafnas, and Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres.
A routine inspection of cargo at the Saipan airport led to the discovery of 2.9lbs of crystal methamphetamine on May 14, Division of Customs and Biosecurity Director Jose C. Mafnas said.
A ROUTINE inspection of cargo at the Saipan airport led to the discovery of 2.9 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, Division of Customs and Biosecurity Director Jose C. Mafnas said on Monday.
Investigation was still ongoing, he added.
Mafnas said at around 11 a.m. on May 14, a Customs officer opened a brown box containing instant milk tea packages and men’s health multivitamins. The officer felt the milk tea packages and became suspicious of their contents. The officer opened a single package, leading to the discovery of meth. The officer then proceeded to open the multivitamin containers and found blue and white pills, which also contained meth.
Mafnas said the estimated street value of the drug shipment is around $300,000.
He could not speak on the specifics of the case, but he said the CNMI Drug Task Force performed a “controlled delivery” of the package. He said an individual attempted to pick up the package at a location away from the airport. No one was arrested.
“Based on our assessment…this is bigger than that person, so we’re still working on it,” Mafnas said at a joint press conference with Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas and Department of Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres on Monday.
Mafnas said the package came from California, likely from the Asian drug syndicates there. He added that in California it is relatively cheap to produce meth, and drug dealers there can spread it far from its point of origin.
The interception may not significantly impact wholesalers, Mafnas said.
“It’s $800 a pound [in California],” he added. “It’s really affordable and there’s such a thing as the ‘shotgun approach.’ At $800 a pound, they can send it in all directions. So whatever slips through the crack they’ll make money. Whatever is intercepted, it’s not even a loss for them. It’s cheap.”
Locally, Mafnas said the price of meth is dropping “because they get discounts or…because there are so many ‘tuna’ out there,” referring to meth.
Macaranas said the Marianas is a regional “hub” for meth. “It is a community concern. We take it seriously,” he added. “It’s the reason why we reopened our relationship with the [Department of Corrections] and Customs and Biosecurity.”
For his part, Torres said inmates at Corrections play a role in the apprehension of illegal drugs.
“I’m getting a lot of intel when the inmates come in,” Torres said. “There’s that huge piece of the puzzle. [Corrections] is about rehabilitation, but it’s also about accountability and enforcement.”
Mafnas hopes public input could lead to major arrests.
“I am sure this is not the end,” he added. “[Meth is] still the drug of choice in the CNMI.”
A customs officer became suspicious of instant milk tea packages that arrived on a May 14 air cargo shipment. This led to the discovery of 2.9 lbs of meth.
In addition to hiding meth in milk tea packages, drug dealers from California also packed meth into blue and white pills before placing them into men’s health multivitamin containers.
