Government agents reported intercepting another smuggled shipments of shabu worth more than P11 million at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The two shipments, which the importers described as cabinet and pillow from California, USA, were uncovered based on the profiling of the Bureau of Customs-Naia examiners.
The parcels underwent X-ray examination, K9 dog sweeping, field test using a chemical identifier and reagent which all indicated the presence of illegal drugs.
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said the shipments weighing of 2,375.5 grams were estimated to be worth P11.87 million.”¯
In a related development:
• The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines declared 16 major airports under its supervision as drug-free facilities.
This, after 2,187 employees of these airports were tested negative during the drug testing conducted by the CAAP Office of the Flight Surgeon and Aviation Medicine from Feb. 7 to May 4 this year.
The agency’s Anti-Illegal Drug Testing Program is based on a March 7, 2013 memorandum which consists of provisions from Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002, the Civil Service Commission’s memorandum circular 13 series of 2010 which calls for a drug-free workplace in the bureaucracy, and the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulation on Psychoactive Testing and Reporting.
CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the random drug tests were also in accordance with the agency’s mission of ensuring a safe, secure, and green Philippine skies.
Among the major airports tested were Davao International Airport and Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro City which 298 and 264 CAAP employees respectively, tested negative to illegal drugs.
One of the packages intercepted contained 2,031 grams of shabu and consigned to”¯Juey”¯Cuenca of Imus, Cavite by a certain Stephanie Morse. It was intercepted on April 27.
“The other was seized on April 23 containing 344.50 grams of shabu and is consigned to Susano Trinidad of Cubao, Quezon City. The sender is a certain Audio Schit,” said Lapeña.
Both packages were found to have fictitious consignees and delivery address.
The Customs-Naia has been continuously interdicting imports and exports disguised as furniture and other general merchandise but the actual contents are illegal drugs.”¯
“In support of the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte, we have intensified our anti-drug operations at the ports, and so we were able to apprehend eight drug shipments in March and April in Naia alone,” Lapeña said.”¯
Late last month, a shipment of smuggled drugs worth P20 million was intercepted by airport authorities who applied a controlled delivery scheme to arrest its consignees.
The suspects were Antonio Lobiano Baguinbin, 38, resident of Sta. Ana, Manila; and Gundelina David, 64, of 182 Pedro Gil Street, Malate, also of Manila.
Elements of the Naia Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group applied a controlled delivery scheme to arrest the suspects in simultaneous operations in Manila and Makati City Friday night.
The controlled delivery technic is used when a consignment of illicit drugs is detected and allowed to go forward under the control and surveillance of law enforcement officers in order to secure evidence against the organizers of such illicit drug traffic.
This operation has been proved effective in some countries in identifying and bringing to justice principals, organizers and financiers of the drug trade.
Investigation showed that the shabu shipments, declared in the documents as car seat booster and baby crib, arrived at the Federal Express warehouse last Monday.