SAIPAN: CNMI Customs Director Joe C. Mafnas said they need modern equipment to facilitate the entry of cargo into local airports and seaports while “choking” the access points of those who smuggle meth or “ice” into the islands.
Mafnas, who was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting on Tuesday, said they need X-ray machines installed at seaports and airports.
“What we need to do is make it very hard for people bringing drugs to come into the CNMI,” Mafnas said. When that happens, “ice” could become unaffordable to most.
Mafnas said in 2014, a total of 6,000 containers of cargo, both 20 and 40 footers, not including loose cargo, arrived at the Saipan seaport. There were 540 vessels that docked here with a total of 5,766 crew members and 1,750 passengers including those of cruise liners.
At the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, Mafnas said over 500,000 passengers passed through, and Customs checked over a million pieces of checked-in baggage and hand-carried luggage from 5,397 flights. These included flights with posts, cargo, and air freight.
“They all passed through Customs and we inspected them manually as we didn’t have the equipment to assist us except for the four K9’s. We need X-Ray machines at the ports of entry,” Mafnas said.
The Saipan seaport needs a heavy duty X-ray machine to handle the heavy volume of cargo that goes through the port, he said, especially for containers from sources that are considered high-risk such as the Philippines and China
At the Saipan international airport, Mafnas said they need an X-ray to go over the large volume of hand-carried and checked-in luggage that goes through Customs every year.
In addition, Mafnas said they also need a portable X-ray which Customs personnel can carry to conduct inspections anywhere, and an ion scanner to detect residue of explosives or narcotics at the ports of entry.
Mafnas said the X-ray they need for the seaport costs about $300,000 while the X-Ray needed for the airport costs about $200,000. A portable scanner costs about $75,000 while an ion scan machine costs about $40,000.
Mafnas said they had submitted a grant application of $434,000 to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help procure the much needed equipment at the local ports of entry.
He said Customs is working closely with the Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and other agencies in the war against “ice.”
“This is a costly battle against meth and since the campaign started, we have taken about $750,000 worth of ‘ice’ off the streets either by purchasing them from sellers or confiscating them in operations or at the ports of entry,” Mafnas said.
“We can only do so much with our limited manpower. We need the necessary equipment to fight this battle against ice.”
