CAVITE Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. yesterday sought a congressional investigation into the discovery by customs agents of a shipment of meat jerky concealing 323 kilograms of suspected crystal meth or shabu at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) last October 4 to find out if there are customs personnel involved.
“It appears that a review of the BOC (Bureau of Customs) operations should be made in order to prevent the inward flow of illicit drugs in the country,” Barzaga said in House Resolution No. 1374, adding the House has to help combat drug trafficking “and protect the general public without compromising the promotion of international trade.”
Barzaga said there is a need for the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs to investigate and determine “how to engage the participation of logistics operators, shipping companies, operators and managers, captains, officers, and crew members, port operators and personnel to effectively prevent and combat illicit drug trafficking through ships engaged in international maritime where it has been found that most drug confiscations happen by sea.
“Consequently, there is a need to examine the adoption of best practices on effective controls of ports and maritime narcotrafficking such as risk assessment, integrated and coordinated approaches by public and private actors, and effective non-intrusive inspections, as well as the adoption of coastal watch activities, detection technology, canine detection, multi-agency participation, and operations, and information sharing which has been adopted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission and how it best suits the Philippines,” he said in the resolution.
The BOC has said the shipment came from Mexico and arrived last February 24 but since no one arrived to claim it, a Pre-Lodgment Control Order (PLCO) was issued last September 29.
It said the PLCO was issued after the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service received “derogatory information that said shipments contain illegal drugs.”
The shipment was consigned to a certain Salesbeat Within OPC by Logistica Integral Aduanal Meyma and Aime Express Logistics SA DE CV.
Barzaga pointed out that it was only last October 4 that the cargo was x-rayed and physically inspected and “thus, there is no information as to who is the consignee or the ship that carried the shipment, and more alarmingly, the reason why the illicit shipment was only discovered after the ‘derogatory information’ was received by customs agents.”
Just last September 29, about 530 kilos of shabu worth P3.6 billion concealed in mixed red tea bags and golden tea bags that were placed in brown boxes that also contained either a bag of pork rind or a bag of dried fish was seized in a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga.
The House committee on dangerous drugs chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is already investigating the seizure.
Police seized P190,400 worth it suspected dangerous drugs and apprehended three persons, including a minor, in a buy-bust operation in Marikina City last Monday night.
Brig. Gen Wilson Asueta, Eastern police district director, identified those arrested as alias Niño, 49; Lala, 38; and Tabeng, a 15-year-old girl.
Seize from them were five sachets containing more or less 28 grams of suspected shabu. — With Christian Oineza
