SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday urged concerned government agencies to crack down on criminal syndicates recruiting drug mules on the pretense of offering jobs abroad.
This after the National Bureau of Investigation announced last week that it had rescued two Filipinas on the verge of becoming illegal drug couriers in Malaysia.
“This incident highlights the urgent need to crack down on criminal syndicates operating in the country that recruit drug mules under the guise of overseas employment,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
Acting on information they received, NBI director Jaime Santiago said his men rescued the two Filipinas who were recruited by the West African Syndicate to pick up a package suspected to contain illegal drugs from Malaysia and transport it to Hong Kong.
Santiago said the information was gathered after a series of “controlled delivery operations” and arrests conducted by the NBI on members of the syndicates over the past months.
He said the recruits were “reassured” that the packages contained only Malaysian products ordered by a Hong Kong businessman “convincing them there was no reason for concern.”
Santiago formed a team which coordinated with the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumper, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Narcotics Crime Division.
“With the diplomatic and law enforcement arrangement in place, the Malaysian authorities were able to arrest a female member of the syndicate and seize 2.3 kilograms of cocaine before it was delivered to the two Filipina recruits,” Santiago said.
He added the Filipinas were brought back home on February 5 “before they incurred any criminal liabilities in Malaysia.”
Gatchalian said the incident also underscores the need for NBI and other law enforcement agencies to coordinate closely with their international counterparts to stop drug trafficking and other transnational crimes preying on unsuspecting Filipinos in search of employment opportunities abroad.
“Additionally, the Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Foreign Affairs, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, and other relevant agencies must strengthen measures to protect prospective overseas Filipino workers from falling victim to crimes such as human and drug trafficking,” he said.
