Posted by ChrisPia on April 9, 2008 at 6:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Now I know Why All these Anti-police are angry.. Good Job. Keep up the Good work Be Safe! Thank You

Posted by lillycollette on April 9, 2008 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wow ChrisPia -- ain't that the truth.
The public should be moved to thank these wonderful LEO's for all their work.

Posted by Weeeee on April 9, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Big deal. They caught it at the ports. Whoopee. I'm sure that same amount walked/drove through the US/Mexico border or even the US/Canada border and will eventually make its way over here.

I'm not even going to mention about some of this bust being "lost" and distributed here by those same officers you're praising. Taxation yields so much more profit. The war on drugs is without fruit.

Posted by Wayne on April 9, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Weeeee,

Where did you see anything about some of the contraband being lost? Were you there weighing the dope, or were you the one who was going to pick up the dope?

I worked for Customs at the port for a number of years and no one there at that time was crooked or sloppy, so your comments are either ill informed or simply ignorant.

Posted by AMAZING on April 9, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

for every one container detected, nine slip through...

The history of investigations conducted by the Charleston RO reveals that a significant portion of the cocaine and marijuana distributed by coastal South Carolina distribution organizations originated from Charleston port smuggling activities. It is a well-known fact that traffickers utilize forty-foot and twenty-foot containers to transport contraband secreted inside these containers with legitimate commercial products.

It is a conservative estimate that for every container loaded with illegal drugs discovered at the Charleston port, at least nine other containers with illegal drugs have slipped through without detection.

The port of Charleston is the second largest containerized seaport on the eastern seaboard of the United States and handles over 1.5 million containers of the over 11 million containers that enter or pass through U.S. ports per year.

Despite this intimidating volume of containers, the USCS has only 10 inspectors to service the inspection requirements in three Charleston port facilities and they must rely on Confidential Source information and container profiling to maximize their chances of success.

These 10 Customs Inspectors are only able to actually inspect less than 1 % of the containers destined to or passing through Charleston.

Recent investigations have shown that there are numerous "cells" of traffickers working at the port with or as longshoremen to bring cocaine, marijuana, and heroin into the United States from overseas (Panama, Colombia, etc.).

FROM DEA:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/sou...

Posted by ChrisPia on April 9, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Keep up the Good Work Wayne. Thank you. Be safe!

Posted by Weeeee on April 9, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wayne said, "Weeeee,

Where did you see anything about some of the contraband being lost? Were you there weighing the dope, or were you the one who was going to pick up the dope?

I worked for Customs at the port for a number of years and no one there at that time was crooked or sloppy, so your comments are either ill informed or simply ignorant."

HAHAHAHHA

I work in the private sector and live a fruitful life. I don't need drugs for monetary gain or recreation.

You're a fool to believe that none of that shipment will see the streets. AMAZING said it for me. Perhaps you're just as ignorant as the sheep who believe local law enforcement does anything.

And for you to generalize me into those two categories based on my comments...well, you should probably get with the program.

Posted by Wayne on April 9, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Weeeee,

I worked for Customs for 10 years before injuring my back and saw the contraband being destroyed in an incinerator, all with 100% accountability. If you think I am a fool, then your the one with a mental deficiency as I have since earned an MBA and am 1/3 the way through a DBA program in Homeland Security.

Prove your point if you want to claim ignorance, as I seized more than 7 tons of contraband while working for Customs, put more than 100 people in jail for narcotics, murder, auto theft, rape, and also busted a human smuggling ring in Southern California. What is your experience Mr. I know everything about law enforcement? What job do you have that gives you the knowledge that law enforcement does nothing?

ChrisPia,

Thank you for your comment! I left Customs a few years ago after rupturing two discs in my back during a search for narcotics at the Wando terminal. I have since worked on a new career in contracting and am now moving to a new job with DHS in Dallas, TX. I salute those still working on a thankless job, trying to protect the people of the US from the ravages of drugs and other contraband.

Amazing,

Your post is fairly well informed, but incorrect in the number of inspectors as that number has been increased in recent years. I worked with the staff of former Senator Fritz Hollings as a member of the National Treasury Employees Union on the legislation that brought that change. I also find it interesting that the DEA sees fit to criticize the drug enforcement activity in SC. The only time I saw the DEA while working in Charleston was when they came to inspect what we already seized and once on a joint operation that resulted in the seizure of about 3,000 lbs of cocaine. If DEA was so worried about the amount of dope coming through the Port of Charleston, why are they not working with DHS/Customs to stop it? It is easy to criticize from the stands, but not so easy to get onto the field and contend for the victory.

Posted by RTC on April 9, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wayne, thank you for all of your work out there.
Some people think working on the waterfront is a gravy job.
They have no idea of the long hours and dangerous conditions that all of the employees are exposed to on a daily basis.
As the wife of a 28+ year port worker, I appreciate that you guys help make the port safer for everyone.

Posted by trod1 on April 9, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I have read that before but it was guess of what was going through ports in America.if anyone actually new what was coming through they would catch it or catch a better percentage.that info is old anyway there are systems at every terminal here now. just about every loaded container gets scanned before it leaves .drive through scanners.what years did you work out there wayne just curious.

Posted by desspec on April 9, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It could just have easily been biological or radiological instead of drugs. We MUST maintain the effort, even for the sake of those who are against it. Thank you Wayne.

Posted by Weeeee on April 9, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wayne, your "resume" doesn't scare me as you obviously intend it to. You may impress these other sheep, but I could care less. Since you did such a good job seizing this and that, I'm sure you have a great explanation for why the area is still so polluted with drugs.

Again, the war on drugs is without fruit.

Posted by trod1 on April 9, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wee drugs in sc dont just come from the port of charleston,to think that would be foolish.plenty of it is grown here as well as smuggled up and down 95.drugs will always be in America as long as the corrupt politicians let it.

Posted by Weeeee on April 9, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Trod1, read my previous posts. I was berated because I mentioned corruption allowing drugs into circulation all the while being assured that it doesn't happen. Obviously, I don't think drugs "only come in through the Port of Charleston".

Posted by Wayne on April 9, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Trod1,

I was an Inspector at the Port of Charleston from 1996 though 2001. I most of that was with the Contraband Enforcement Team, which was a about 7-8 inspectors at the time, working a full work week and an average of 10-20 hours of overtime per week.

You are correct in that statement, as a large amount of dope is seized regularly along all the major freeways, from I-95, I-85, I-20 and I-20 among them. Are the politicians responsible? Maybe, but the primary responsibility lies with the people who decide to smoke week and smoke the dope. Nothing can stop the trade until that group either all quit that harmful activity, or we find away to magically make the dope evaporate at the border.

Weeee,

My resume was not intended to scare you, simply to show that my experience and education allow me to refute your statements against my posts. The main reason for the influx of drugs is that no amount of enforcement can stop the demand for illegal substances. Even if we inspected every ship, they would simply use airplanes. If we inspected every airplane, they would use submarines and sneak drugs, illegals, etc, in isolated coves and harbors. If we hired a few hundred thousand inspectors, we might be able to monitor 1/3 of those isolated locations, and the bad guys would find a new way.

The problem is that Americans want to ruin their lives with drugs. If you think that drugs are not harmful, how many murders, robberies, stolen cars are connected with the drug trade? I have seen those figures, and we could cut our crime rate by more than 50% by eliminating the demand for drugs. Making it legal means that we simply accept that people want to flush their lives down the toilet. There are no easy answers, only tough decisions and hard work. Sorry about that, but that is the society we live in.

Posted by Wayne on April 9, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you RTC and desspec for your comments!

You are very right about the other threats. I am studying that subject in my PhD program now, and if any of you saw some of the research I have done, you would have your eyes opened in a cruel way. Most people in the US are naive about the threats, perhaps thankfully so.

Incidentally, the Inspector that ran down the Seattle bomber in in 2000 was a friend of mine from my time working on the border. Customs is not just dope, it is the safety of your kids toys, it is the defense against international child pornography, it is part of the enforcement team for financial crimes, and much, much more.

Having been in the field, I take it personally when someone insults the integrity of my former co-workers and their work. I hope that never changes.

Posted by Wayne on April 9, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

LOL, Perhaps that is true Early! I am closing out all my work in my current job in my last days, so I have more time than normal to follow this thread. Normally I am way to busy to do more than read the stories in the morning and maybe post a comment or two.

I just hope that Weeee and the rest do not take my comments as a personal attack, just a reply from a person who was actually in the fray. I may not have gotten along with all of my fellow Inspectors, but I would defend their honor with my own, so long as they abide by the ethics inherent in that position.

I do know of several Inspectors who did not meet that standard, some personally. They were by far the exceptions to the norm, 99% of Inspectors, Agents and other Customs employees were and I believe are honorable and ethical citizens, working very hard to keep everyone in the US as safe as they can from the threats that are all too plentiful in the world today.

Posted by abitskeptical on April 9, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Only round 9?

We all have seen figures on drug related crime. I imagine most of us agree-it is a distressing situation. I also imagine most folks are aware that drugs can be harmful.

We disagree, however, on whys & wherefores of this situation & how to solve some of the issues relating to it.

Keeping drugs illegal is not going to eliminate the demand for them. If someone wants to flush his or her life down the toilet, they actually have, or should have, a right to do that.

If the harm a substance can cause is the criterion for making it illegal, please explain to me why tobacco, for example, is legal.

Tobacco has caused more harm,heartache,loss of productivity, etc, etc than can be calculated. And not just for those who smoke.

Nicotine is so toxic that if a toddler ingests just 1/2 of a cigarette he will die--he will be as dead as he would be if he ingested a certain amount of crack or heroin etc. Blessedly, nicotine is a powerful emetic & when a toddler ingests a cigarette he usually vomits.

I know hundreds of 18 yr olds who did not rush out to the store to buy a pack of cigarettes as soon as it became legal for them to do so.

Posted by little_green_person on April 9, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I value my life enough to keep it but if I wanted to "flush it down the toilet" will someone please tell me why Uncle Sam has the right to choose that I don't?

It is inherently disrespectful of individual independence to think one's opinion on what is "right and safe" should be enforced on another person.

There shouldn't be a "war on drugs." It's stupid. Put that money into the communities and helping young people out.

Posted by Larz13 on April 9, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Way to go Pam! Good job! It is good to see that you are still working hard even with retirement so near.

Posted by trod1 on April 9, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WAYNE i remember a new guy of yours from up north going into a container back in the mid 90s to check it at nct.he got locked in. luckily for him it was a slow working ship.and got stacked up.we heard knocking then all you guys came over we lowered it.and he got out.lucky fellow the heat in there could a killed him.they should develop a better way for u guys to open them.i don't know how any of loads haven't crushed any of you guys.im sure ive worked with you at some point and rtc husband.

Posted by Weeeee on April 9, 2008 at 1:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Wayne,

My apologies for not accepting the fact that Customs do everything in their power to ensure our safety. It's just that I find it very hard to believe that every bit of a drug netted in a bust finds its way to an incinerator.

little_green,

That's exactly how I feel.

Posted by Wayne on April 9, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Trod1,

I too remember that event, which I am thankful ended up as it did! We ragged on him a bit after that, but he was the hardest working inspecter on the team so we had to give respect at the same time we gave him grief about being locked up. I also give a salute to the hardworking longshoremen that work in Charleston, the most efficient port in the US. Just like the few bad apples make all inspectors look bad, a few bad longshoremen make the ILA look bad. I respect the long hours the longshoremen worked, and how much danger they faced every day under those cranes. I just wish the Customs Service paid us as much as the ILA makes sure the longshoremen get paid! I say that with tongue in cheek, as I fully understand that they deserve all that and more, while I worked less hours and in reality was never in as much danger as the longshoremen were.

Weeeee,

I cannot speak for every agency in securing seized narcotics, but I can assure you that Customs weighed and inventoried every shred of illegal narcotics, kept them in secure locations and had at least two independent observers when the narcotics were destroyed.

I personally was involved in several destruction runs, and each one of those involved inventories, weight checks and the inspection of seals on containers. The tape was security tape, which would not be able to be taken off without revealing that fact, and we even had accurate calculations for how much water would evaporate from marijuana over time so that we would know how much it should weigh.

Posted by Wayne on April 9, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

abitskeptical,

I agree with you about tobacco, as both of my parents died of tobacco related cancer. I am not a liberal that believes the government is the solution for all problems, but I do believe that a known carcinogen needs to be banned from public spaces. It should also be considered a form of child abuse when inflicted upon children in the home or in a car. Alcohol could also be thought of this way, but we all know what happened the last time we tried to go down that road.

So what is the answer?

Perhaps if we could eliminate the requirement to provide any health care to drug, tobacco or alcohol abusers...or make anyone who hurt another while under the influence or though the use of drugs, tobacco or alcohol liable for the costs and damages of the victim. In many other countries, drunk driving means forfeiting your licence permanently, along with the car you were caught in. Would we be willing to go that far to fight the madness we find ourselves in? I would support it, but would you, or your neighbors?

Posted by RTC on April 9, 2008 at 5 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Wayne, I wish my husband made what the longshoremen and checkers made, but when you are not union you don't get paid as much. I still can't complain, except it makes it hard on the family life when you can't ever make plans without taking leave time.
The whole crew out there has to work like a well- oiled machine, or else things can and do go wrong.

Posted by auger on April 9, 2008 at 5:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Damn, anybody want to buy a case of Zig-Zags? .....And a gross of bong screens?

Posted by KidYendor on April 10, 2008 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

We need to legalize marijuana and put a tax stamp on the bags to raise money for South Carolina's $240 million budget shortfall.