Awareness vs. entry of foreign meds high

The CNMI Division of Customs has noted an increasing awareness among Chinese garment workers on existing laws which prohibits the entry of medicines from China, particularly those not labeled in English.

But Customs Director Joe Mafnas said this is not helping the division in any way mainly because they continue to intercept and confiscate an average of 500 grams of non-English labeled medicines from Saipan-bound Chinese workers.

“We know that they are now more aware of the policy that they cannot bring in medicines from China because most Chinese workers are now concealing or hiding the medicines we don’t normally inspect like their pockets,” Mr. Mafnas told reporters in an interview.

And whoever said increased awareness is always an advantage is probably mistaken. It does not work the same way for the Division of Customs.

He admitted the practice by some Chinese workers in as far as trying to bring in foreign-labeled medicine into the Northern Marianas has been a perennial problem for the customs division, especially now when awareness among them is higher.

“It has been a continuing trouble for us. We have asked garment manufacturing companies to inform their recruits from China that they can’t bring in medicines from there to the CNMI and we know that the message has been relayed very well,” he added.

How did the customs know?

Workers from China bound for Saipan are now keeping most of the confiscated medicines that are not labeled in English in their pockets, shoes, and in some cases, under their arms, according to Mr. Mafnas.

But he said there is no letting up on the customs division’s efforts against the entry of prohibited medicines into the Northern Marianas, as he stressed that inspections is now a little tighter to ensure that nothing illegal has been sneaked in.

He also mentioned that there has been no incident when the medicines confiscated from Chinese workers was being brought in for commercial purposes, considering the volume of stocks they were supposed to bring in from China.

Mr. Mafnas also emphasized that medicines from the Philippines, which are mostly labeled in English, are also initially confiscated and submitted to the Department of Public Health to decide whether these will be released or not.

He mentioned some exemptions, or those cases when Saipan-bound passengers could show a physician’s prescription of the medicine that will be brought in from outside the Commonwealth.