WASHINGTON: The vigilance of the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency authorities at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport has led to various interceptions of significant amounts of drugs and counterfeit items that passengers have tried to smuggle into the island. In one of the latest signs our customs authorities are doing their job, a man who allegedly tried to hide about $277,000 worth of meth in a wheelchair on a flight to Guam was busted Sunday. In August 2016, two passengers on a flight from Honolulu were discovered at the Guam international airport allegedly attempting to smuggle 350 grams of meth. And there was the passenger from Hong Kong, who recently pleaded guilty to bringing in a staggering amount of meth – 2 pounds strapped to his legs – when he arrived at the international airport.
“Guam has a serious methamphetamine problem. At the borders, we see and seize so much methamphetamine before it has the chance to harm our community,” says James McDonald, Guam customs director. “Because the amounts seized are significant, many times the cases are adopted federally and more often than not we are not able to report actual seizures due to ongoing investigations.” He commended the men and women in his agency for keeping a significant amount of meth off Guam’s streets. We commend customs for doing their job, at least at the Guam airport. At the same time, we need to hear more about the efforts to protect Guam from drug smugglers who may have or who will attempt to use our seaport to bring in drugs. We need to hear about drug interdiction on the seaport side, and see whether the workforce and technological capabilities are there to stop drugs from getting in by sea.
