BOC’s tough stance versus drugs: cocaine, shabu, seized anew

2 drug recipients nabbed during ‘controlled delivery operation’ in Cavite

On Sep 28, 2022

Suspected drug courier Stephen Joseph Szuhar, an American national (seated), while being questioned after 3.7 kilos of cocaine worth P19.6 million were found in his luggage on his arrival from Brazil via Doha, Qatar, at the NAIA Terminal 3 last September 27, 2022 (photo credit: BOC-PIAD).

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) continues to maintain its premier position as the government’s ‘first border protection’ against the entry of illegal drugs with the interdiction of P19.6 million worth of cocaine being smuggled thru the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and more than a kilo of shabu at the Port of Clark last week.

NAIA district collector, Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan, in a report to acting commissioner, Yogi Filemon Ruiz, said elements of the NAIA Inter-Agency Task Group and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), said a passenger was arrested last September 27, 2022, after arriving from a flight from Qatar carrying 3.7 kilos of cocaine in his luggage valued at P19.610 million.

Talusan said that unknown to the passenger identified as ‘Stephen Joseph Szuhar,’ an American national, customs authorities and the PDEA were earlier “tipped off” about his arrival.

Talusan said the passenger had a ‘roundabout route’ before arriving at the NAIA as he originally boarded a flight from Brazil.

“The subject passenger arrived from Doha, Qatar via Qatar Airways QR 932 coming from Brazil as port of origin, Talusan added in a statement to the media.

At the Port of Clark, district collector, Alexandra Lumontad, said a composite team of law enforcers from the Port and the PDEA confiscated 1.14 kilos of shabu worth P7.87 million found hidden inside a shipment of “unsolicited gift-baby soft toys for personal use” which arrived from Victoria, London, last September 26, 2022.

The initial ‘non-intrusive’ (X-Ray) examination of the package showed suspicious images that prompted the assigned customs examiner to conduct further examination.

Physical examination was immediately conducted which resulted to the discovery of two pieces of headdress (hat with design), one piece of letter and one yellow-green plastic bag containing two pieces of ‘Star Wars Mandalorian Plush Toy.’

Each of the item holds three blue plastics containing white crystalline powder suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) that was confirmed later on by the PDEA.

The subsequent conduct of a ‘controlled delivery operation’ the next Day, September 27, led the authorities to a house inside Magdiwang Subdivision, Bacoor City, Cavite, and to the arrest of two Filipino claimants, Lumontad reported further to Ruiz.

Before joining the BOC more than 4 years ago, Ruiz is a bemedaled regional official of the PDEA.

On being appointed customs chief last July 25, 2022, Ruiz said he is adopting a “no-nonsense” policy against the entry of contrabands, particularly illegal drugs.