AUTHORITIES arrested an arriving South African passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City last Saturday night for attempting to smuggle seven kilos of shabu worth P47.6 million.
The PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) said the 43-year-old suspect, identified only as Antonie, was nabbed after arriving on board Cathay Airways Flight CX 748 from Hong Kong.
The suspect was nabbed by operatives of the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) at the Customs International Arrival Area, NAIA Terminal 3 at around 7:30 p.m.
PDEG said the suspect will face a case for violation of Section 4 (importation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
The task group is composed of government agencies, including the PDEG and the PNP Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP).
AVSEGROUP said a Bureau of Customs x-ray operator initially discovered a “suspicious” item inside the suspect’s luggage as it passed the x-ray monitor.
A manual inspection of the luggage led to the recovery of seven kilos of shabu, which were placed inside four foil packs labelled “Willard.”
AVSEGROUP said the suspect and the shabu are currently under the custody of the NAIA-IADITG “for documentation and appropriate disposition.”
“Every attempt to smuggle drugs is an attack on our communities. By stopping this P47.6 million drug haul, we are protecting countless Filipino families,” said AVSEGROUP director Brig. Gen. Jay Cumigad in a statement.
“AVSEGROUP, together with NAIA-IADITG and other partner agencies, will never let drug traffickers slip past our gateways,” added Cumigad.
Meanwhile, PDEG operatives, in coordination with other police units, arrested two drug dealers during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Baliwasan in Zamboanga City last Friday night.
The suspects — alias Choy, 23; and alias Ungod, 45 — yielded two kilos of shabu worth P13.6 million.
They are described as “high-value” individuals in the continuing campaign against illegal drugs.
PDEG director Brig. Gen. Edwin Quilates commended all the personnel involved in the successful operation.
“Your unwavering commitment and teamwork have dealt a significant blow to the illegal drug trade, protecting communities and saving lives. Keep up the fight against illegal drugs,” said Quilates.
Police operatives arrested six individuals, including a minor, for allegedly selling illegal and unregistered vape products and dangerous drugs in Quezon City.
The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) named the suspects as Steph, Paulyn, Jessa, and Mary, all females, and Charles and Marc, both males.
Mary, a minor, will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the CIDG said.
The six were nabbed in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sto Cristo, Bagong Bantay in Quezon City last Friday. They were caught in the act of “selling and trading vape products with cannabis flavor.”
“The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) confirmed that these products are unregistered, unsafe and prohibited for public consumption,” the CIDG said in a statement.
During the transaction, Charles offered to sell party drugs ecstasy, the CIDG said.
Seized from the suspects were 13 vape-cannabis flavors, 18 tablets of ecstasy, and three sachets of shabu.
CIDG director Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano commended the personnel of the CIDG’s Anti-Transnational Crime Unit for their “swift and responsive police action”, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
“With this accomplishment, we significantly protect the public, especially the youth and minors, from the potential health hazards that these vape products and dangerous drugs can cause, and we arrested the alleged sellers of these illicit items,” said Abrahano. – With Christian Oineza
