SMUGGLED dried snakes, turtles, giant centipedes and deer meat from Hong Kong are now the subject of an investigation.
These undeclared goods were stuffed inside sacks and boxes of herbal medicine estimated to weigh 700 lbs.
At around 3 p.m. yesterday, federal and local authorities inspected these goods after they were detected by the Division of Customs’ mobile X-ray unit at the seaport.
Art Taimanglo of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife on Guam immediately flew in to Saipan to determine the possible violations of federal law.
“These will be automatically confiscated for failure to declare imported fish and wildlife products. They will be destroyed here,” Taimanglo told Variety.
Anthony B. Blas, supervisor of Customs’ X-ray unit, said the consignees tried to hide the animal products inside the packages of herbal medicine that included dried roots, nuts and herbs.
“We don’t know where they are going to use these dried snakes and deer meat. We are still investigating,” Blas said.
The shipment of these plant and animal products arrived on April 12, and underwent Customs clearance and inspection yesterday, said Blas.
He said the importation of these herbs may also be violating local laws for carrying labels not written in English.
Antonio Iguel of the CNMI Quarantine Division said quarantine personnel were working closely with other local and federal authorities to determine all the laws violated by the importation and smuggling of these items.
Personnel from the Bureau of Environmental Health and the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife also inspected the items.
According to Blas, the investigation will take a few days.
