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People getting more creative smuggling drugs, says Customs

Marijuana bust at airport on Monday — used ‘ink cartridges’
blue@samoanews.com

Benny, the four-legged Customs agent responsible for ‘sniffing’ out illegal drugs coming into the territory, made a another bust this past Monday, when a man from Pago Pago who was disembarking the Hawaiian Airlines flight claimed a suitcase containing a dozen ‘nuggets’ of marijuana.

(A ‘nugget’ is similar in size to a bottle cap).

Chief of Customs, Moetulu’i Bill Fuiava, confirmed the bust and told Samoa News yesterday that people are getting more creative, as far as bringing drugs into the territory.

He referred to previous drug busts that included finds in peanut butter jars, powdered milk, candy bars, and said that people are always trying to find ways to ‘mask’ the drugs “but unfortunately for them, the canines we have are well-trained, and our officers do a great job at ‘detecting’ when something doesn’t seem right.”

According to Moetulu’i, the drugs that were found on Monday night were hidden in ink cartridges. He couldn’t say for certain, how much they are worth.

Samoa News understands the Pago Pago resident, who brought the drugs in, had filled out a Customs form, declaring bullets (ammunition) that he was carrying, but not the marijuana.

Sources close to the case believe the declaration was perhaps a decoy – as bullets (depending on the caliber) can be brought in, if declared, and the necessary paperwork is in order.

A ‘transfer of custody’ was made that night and the drugs, along with the suspect, were handed over to officers from the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Samoa News was unable to confirm as of press time yesterday, whether or not the suspect is in custody.

“Using ink cartridges to smuggle drugs can now be added to the long list of items that have been used by people to transport drugs into American Samoa,” Moetulu’i concluded.