Big Island man caught trying to sneak drugs past airport security in men’s shoes

At Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on July 26, agents with the Transportation Security Administration said they made quite the discovery: eight types of illegal drugs stuffed in two pair of men’s shoes.

The owner of the carry-on, identified as Kevin Hallum from Ocean View, was indicted in U.S. District Court on Aug. 14 on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The criminal complaint in the case is sealed.

Hallum was reportedly headed to Alaska when he went through the TSA precheck security line. After his carry-on went through the machine screening, TSA agents flagged the bag for a hand search.

“He took off running when they unzipped his bag,” Hawai‘i Island police Lt. Erich Jackson said on Monday.

Hawai‘i Island police were notified and law enforcement and airport security pursued Hallum, but he evaded capture. Three days later, Hallum was tracked back to his home in Ocean View and taken into custody, Jackson said.

TSA posted on social media about the illegal drug discovery, listing what was recovered:

• 108.1 grams of heroin
• 500 fentanyl pills
• 3.2 grams of ketamine
• 244.6 grams of meth
• 7.7 grams of brown sugar heroin
• 12 acid tabs
• 25 Xanax bars
• 10 soma pills

The federal agency also poked fun of the “passenger in Hawaiʻi,” stating on the Instagram post: “If your socks are stuffed with more than cotton, you’re bound to trip up. In this case, there was enough illicit junk to take you on a different kind of trip. That smuggling plan? Toe-tally defeated.”

Hallum entered a not guilty plea.

The state Attorney General filed a motion on Aug. 5 to detain Hallum without bail, citing that after his arrest and during transport, “the defendant was observed attempting to loosen his handcuffs and made a statement to law enforcement that he was plotting an escape.”

The judge denied the request and Hallum was granted release on an unsecured bond of $50,000 with conditions, according to court documents.

A jury trial is scheduled in federal court on O‘ahu before Judge Micah W.J. Smith on Oct. 14.