By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The Customs and Quarantine Agency (CQA) will add four drug detection dogs to its workforce through a partnership with the Office of the Attorney General.
For nearly two years, CQA has been unsuccessful in securing contracts with drug detection training vendors because of restrictions in animal transport on commercial airlines operating between the continental United States and Guam.
CQA recently identified an animal transport charter flight as an alternative to transporting drug detection dogs from Florida to Guam and was searching for funding assistance.
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Under the memorandum of agreement, the OAG has committed up to
$60,000 to CQA for the procurement and transportation of drug detection canines. It is estimated that these funds will be able to add four drug detection dogs to CQA to support the interruption of drug smuggling at Guam’s border.
The CQA detector dogs are expected to arrive on-island in the coming months.
“The drug problem is one of the biggest issues facing our island, and we look forward to the continued collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General toward stopping drugs from entering our borders,” Customs Director Ike Peredo said.
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“Today’s partnership with Director Peredo and his team is part of our larger holistic approach to support the hard work they do every day to protect our borders from the importation of drugs,” said Attorney General Leevin Camacho.
CQA seized 44 lbs of methamphetamine in 2019, 110 lbs in 2020, and 195 lbs in 2021, representing a 77 percent increase in methamphetamine seizures, officials said.
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