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Customs replaces 3 aging K9 dogs
Over a year since the revival of its K9 Unit, the CNMI Division of Customs Services replaced its aging drug-detector dogs with three new ones to further beef up border security.
Customs Director Joe Mafnas confirmed with Saipan Tribune yesterday that two new dogs have been in use for weeks now, while a third one just arrived this week.
“These new dogs replaced the ones that were already old. We were able to secure the new dogs using federal grants through the [Criminal Justice Planning Agency],” Mafnas said.
A drug-detector dog demonstration is tentatively set for Friday.
The Labrador dogs were bought from the U.S. mainland, he added.
Mafnas said the dogs that were decommissioned were put up for adoption.
The use of drug-detector dogs is an added tool to detect drugs in incoming passengers, luggage, cargoes, and post office packages, complementing manual checks by Customs personnel at ports of entries.
Gov. Eloy S. Inos brought back Mafnas to his previous post as Customs director, leading to last year’s revival of the CNMI Customs Services Division’s K9 Unit—once touted a “model” in the Pacific but had been idle since June 2012 for lack of funding and certified drug-detector dog handlers.
Mafnas said yesterday they have one new K9 handler, joining the two certified K9 handlers. Each of them is assigned a drug-detector dog.
