Law enforcement officials say illegal drugs discovered at the airports in American Samoa are often marked as foreign medicine.
Drugs on a black surface. Photo: 123RF
This was discussed at a first meeting of close to 20 federal agents representing the Coast Guard, FBI, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau, Customs and Border Control in Pago Pago who discussed the growing drug problem in the territory.
The Acting Chief of Customs, Keith Gebauer, said criminals are also using the postal service to mail drugs.
Mr Gebauer said drugs are also discovered at the airport and more recently large quantities of Chinese-labelled medicines have been found.
"It could be the Chinese version of Tylenol. It could something as innocent as that," he said.
"The methods in which they are bringing them in, lends me to believe that that is not the case. It is sewn into clothes, it is taped to their bodie, all kinds of things that lends you to believe that this is not for altruistic purposes."
Keith Gebauer said most of items orginate in China or Vietnam and some have tested positive for the presence of PCP or angel dust.