NAIA ups illegal drug take to P1.72 billion

THE collection district at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport continues to lead in the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the government after another shipment of highly regulated drugs from Pakistan was seized last week at the ‘Paircargo Warehouse’ in Parañaque City.

District collector, Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan, in a report to Bureau of Customs commissioner, Rey Leonardo Guerrero, said they already turned over last December 4, 2020, to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) the 35,345 tablets of ‘Valium’ (Diazepam) and ‘Mogadon’ (Nitrazepam) worth some P1.8 million, for custody and further investigation.

Records show that the cargo was shipped by a certain “Muztaza and brother” from Pakistan and was misdeclared as “Health Care Products.”

The seized tablets were discovered by BoC-NAIA frontliners during the inspection and examination of arriving parcels at the Paircargo warehouse.

Both are are included in the 1971 United Nations Single Convention on Psychotropic Substances under Schedule IV. Both have addictive properties and characteristics, and considered as highly regulated drugs. They were brought into the country without the required import permit from the PDEA and certificate of product registration from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).

The accomplishment has now increased the NAIA’s illegal drugs confiscation to P1.72 billion since the start of the year and involving 43 different shipments.

Talusan also reported that last December 3, 2020, port personnel intercepted 3 packages weighing 28 kilos of ‘Agarwood’ worth P2.4 million at the FedEx warehouse in Pasay City.

Agarwood is classified under the “Appendix 2” of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Agarwood is a resin valued for its distinctive fragrance and is considered as world’s “most expensive wood.” One kilo of Agarwood fetches as much as P750,000 in the market.

IG bows full weight of the law against smugglers

Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Rainier Ramiro vowed “the full weight of the law” against those behind the attempted smuggling last December 4, 2020, at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) where the drivers of the container vans also deliberately removed the shipment’s “electronic tracking of containerized cargo (ETRACC) GPS seal” in an attempt to misled the authorities on their final destination.

Ramiro and Assistant Commissioner Vincent ‘Jett’ Maronilla rushed last Friday to a private cold storage facility in Parañaque City where the shipment of ‘frozen mackerel scad,’ misdeclared as

“frozen squid” loaded on two 40-footer reefer vans, was found and immediately seized by the bureau.

Ramiro noted that aside from smuggling, all those involved in the smuggling would also be charged for tampering the containers’ GPS seal, which is a grave violation of customs rules.

He also identified the erring consignee as ‘Hightower Inc.’

“We are now completing the identification and profiling of all those involved in this smuggling attempt and rest assured, the full force of the law shall fall on them,” he told Pinoy Exposé.

In Cagayan de Oro, district collector, John Simon, belatedly reported to Guerrero the apprehension of 68 master cases  or 3,400 reams of smuggled cigarettes worth some P3.5 million.

Simon said together with elements of the Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Office, the ‘San Marino’ brand cigarettes loaded in a ‘wing van,’ were apprehended at a police checkpoint in Bgy. Pawak, Saguiran Lanao del Sur, on November 25, 2020.

Simon added that prior to this, the port’s customs police commander, SP/Capt. Abdila Maulana Jr., had already coordinated with the Lanao del Sur Police Office after they were tipped off that smuggled cigarettes that were landed in Zamboanga would be transported to some areas in Lanao del Sur.