Airport drug arrests Drug-related arrests at Honolulu Airport have almost quadrupled in one year, mainly due to increased security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to statistics from state Narcotics Enforcement Division officials.
take off
Increased security nearly quadruples
cases in 1 year, mostly
for marijuana and iceBy Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.comIn 2001, narcotics agents and state sheriffs reported making 27 arrests and handling 44 drug-related cases at the airport. In 2002, that number increased to 102 airport arrests and 230 drug-related cases.
State narcotics officials say a majority of the busts involve marijuana possession. In 2001, state sheriffs seized 35 grams of marijuana; in 2002, they seized an estimated 302 grams.
Ed Howard, state narcotics supervising investigator, estimated that of those arrested for marijuana, 25 percent to 35 percent are out-of-state visitors.
"One guy we interviewed after his arrest was here for the game against Alabama," said Howard. "He said he'd heard so much about our weed here that he wanted to bring some back."
"We've also had about three or four arrests involving visitors from California who try showing us their medicinal marijuana authorization letters thinking that it's OK here. ... One guy had a whole ounce because he said he wanted to 'stock up.'"
Howard said the other most common drug bust at Honolulu Airport involves those addicted to crystal methamphetamine, or ice.
"Most of them are legitimately employed doing a job which requires them to travel a lot, but they can't leave the ice at home," said Howard. "One guy was an ironworker who had a job on the Big Island and said he couldn't get up in the morning without his ice.
"The sheriffs are doing a great job down there keeping up with all the extra work. ... We're getting a lot of small amounts -- user amounts. We're not really seeing large dealer amounts anymore."
Most airport drug busts last year were made at either the security checkpoint for ticketed passengers or at the random security searches near the gates.
In November the Transportation Safety Administration added another level of security by checking all passenger luggage by way of X-ray machines, testing for trace particles of dangerous chemicals and even by hand or with bomb-sniffing dogs.
Howard expects that with the new 100 percent bag-screening process in place, state sheriffs and narcotics agents should see an even greater number of airport drug-related arrests this year.
However, the man in charge of the TSA's 700 employees here in Hawaii said he doubts that, mainly because he feels the word will get out that drug smuggling at the airport is too great of a risk.
"We're here to find weapons, but we aren't going to overlook any contraband," said TSA Director Sydney Hayakawa. "I think people will come to realize it isn't worth it anymore.
"I mean, if you were a drug user or dealer, would you want to chance it?"