$850K worth of ‘ice’ seized

On Dec. 2, during a routine inspection at the Port of Saipan, a 40-foot container from Guangzhou, China, was selected by the CNMI Divisions of Customs for 100 percent inspection. The container had several consignees and was brought in by Sunleader, a cargo consolidating company. One of the consignees had brought in nine 5-gallon paint containers, which were inspected by Customs officers. One container was opened to reveal thick paint and a strong putrid odor. As the officers continued to probe the paint, an officer noticed a black plastic bag inside, making him suspicious. After the officers removed the hardened paint inside the container, three black plastic bags were revealed.

The content of the bags were field-tested and found presumptive positive for methamphetamines, or “ice.”

The total weight was 4.9 lbs. The estimated street value is $850,000.

Immediately after the finding, Customs alerted their law enforcement partners, which include the Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Agency task force, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Homeland Security Investigations unit, U.S. Marshals, and the CNMI Attorney General Investigative Unit.

“As a result of this operation, three Chinese nationals were arrested,” Customs director Jose Mafnas told Saipan Tribune yesterday, after relaying the story of the CNMI’s most recent ice bust.

The ice bust comes just five months after 23 lbs of ice was seized by Customs in July, the biggest bust in CNMI history.

That’s a total of 28 lbs of ice worth over $5 million in value within a five-month period, said Mafnas.

“It goes to tell us if there is a will, there are those who are going to make every effort to smuggle…We still have to be vigilant, protecting our borders,” said Major. Greg Sablan, deputy director of Customs.

“The most important thing is that 28 lbs [of ice] did not go out and affect our community,” Mafnas said.

“Once it gets out on the streets, you can imagine the destruction it will impose on the community, the friends, families that are addicted to it,” added Sablan.

Sablan commended Customs staff yesterday for their vigilance in protecting the CNMI’s borders. “We want to give the public assurance that—even if we are underpaid and with limited resources—we will continue to be vigilant to protect our borders and protect our community.”

“I am optimistic in the end we are going to win this war,” added Mafnas.

Acting governor Ralph LG Torres welcomed the news in a statement yesterday.

“Every time the vigilant men and women at the Division of Customs prevent crystal methamphetamine from reaching our shores, we move one step closer to winning the War on Ice. …The men and women of Customs and all our enforcement entities have the full support they need to fight this war. I want to thank Director Mafnas and his team for being at the frontline of this war and continuing to prevent this drug from reaching our community at its source,” Torres said.

Ice task force

The arrests of the three Chinese national were also coincidentally made while law enforcement officials and other agencies met for the first time at an interagency “War on Ice” task force during an inaugural meeting on Capital Hill last Friday, the Customs officials said.

The ice task force has announced plans to strengthen CNMI laws on asset seizures, to seize not only money but also other possessions like vehicles, accounts, and land.

“If we take away those tools for them to continue their business then that’s one way” to get them to pick up their business and go elsewhere, said Sablan.

Policy makers are planning to make seizure laws more stringent. That, and possibly lengthening jail terms for ice dealers.

“Longer jail terms, no probation, no parole,” said Sablan. “If you are found guilty and convicted to serve 20 years, we want you to serve that 20 years concurrent.”

This, he said, would serve as a deterrent to prevent others from dealing with this type of illegal narcotic or drug.

“…If you do the crime you will do the time,” Sablan said. “We’ve seen it where people are incarcerated, they get out of jail and they go back to the same thing again. We want to send out a strong message.”

New equipment

The RFP also closed recently for new x-ray machines at the airport and seaport.

A vendor has been selected, with Customs now processing two x-ray machines for the airport and seaport.

For a handheld x-ray scanner, Customs is working directly with a vendor out Boston, Massachusetts, after there were no interests for the service in the RFP, said Mafnas.

“Usually, drug dealers are one step, two steps ahead of us. Once we have the equipment available—the x-ray machines—it will speed up the process and hopefully lead to more interceptions,” added Sablan.