The government’s continued drug war kicked into high gear as the Philippine Postal Corp. was placed on heightened alert and on lookout for the entry of illegal drugs that passes through the Central Mail Exchange Center.
The move was made following the seizure of some P7.5 million worth of party drugs, including ecstasy at the Manila Central Post Office which came from The Netherlands.
The illegal drugs were found hidden in five parcels of toys consigned to a certain Don Arnold, while the two others to a certain Martin Domingo.
Postmaster general Joel Otarra said they have undertaken preventive measure to stop the entry of ecstasy tablets and illegal drugs at the entry point where parcels and other mails that passes through the post for delivery.
“PhlPost has been doing its part in the government’s effort to specifically stop illegal drugs and other prohibited materials from entering the country through the mail,” he said.
He said stringent security measures are being done in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to help detect the entry of illegal drugs by allowing the agency’s drug sniffing dogs to check suspicious items for delivery to addressees or consignees.
He said the Philpost has beefed up measures like tracking, advanced data collection and close coordination with other country’s postal administrations, security assistance from drug and law enforcement units, and “other risk management procedures” that would mitigate the threat of using the postal service in illegal activities.
“We remain vigilant in our effort to thwart illegal drugs on mails and at the same time preventing the Post as a medium of transshipment of illegal drugs in the country,” he added.
