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$1-M worth of ‘ice’ seized
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Posted on Jun 13 2000
Close to $1 million worth of crystal metamphetamine hydrochloride, popularly known as “ice”, was seized by the CNMI Customs Services Saturday from a 25-year-old Korean national at the Saipan International Airport, in what could be the biggest drug confiscation on the island in last two years.
Customs enforcement team on duty stumbled upon approximately four pounds of the illegal substance from incoming passenger Gim Mahn Soo after a thorough check of his luggage at the customs inspection area.
Customs Director Joe Mafnas told a press conference the package containing “ice”, well-concealed in the interior lining of a hard cover luggage, was detected with the aide of a K-9, a dog trained to detect illegal drugs.
“Officers had to tear the luggage to get to the package because it was very well hidden,” the Mr. Mafnas said.
Mr. Gim’s luggage had been inspected twice after customs officers noticed something “suspicious.”
“The type of ‘ice’ Mr. Gim carried is particularly new to us because usually it’s in crystal form bigger than this,” Mr. Mafnas noted. The illegal substance found in the suspect’s belongings possessed a fine texture.
“It laid flat on the luggage, you can’t feel it,” he added.
Mr. Gim arrived on Saipan aboard a Continental Micronesia flight early Saturday morning after transiting from Guam.
According to Mr. Mafnas, the suspect originated from Korea and stopped over Manila before boarding a plane bound for Saipan via Guam.
Investigating officers who questioned Mr. Gim for more information said the suspect refused to cooperate with the authorities.
“He exercised his constitutional right to refuse to talk to us without his counsel present. So we really don’t know where these drugs are supposedly headed to or whether it was meant to be shipped out of the CNMI,” said Mr. Mafnas.
Charges have been filed against Mr. Gim yesterday at the Superior Court and President Judge Edward Manibusan has set the bail at $25,000. (MM)
