By CHITO A. CHAVEZ
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is batting for its agents with drug sniffing canines in tow to be included in the manning of X-ray machines in airports and courier service companies to stop the entry of drugs to the country.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino issued the statement after admitting that high-value drug dealers are taking advantage of the holiday season to send their contrabands in the country through international courier services.
PDEA yesterday presented its latest haul consisting of two packages containing suspected shabu worth P57.5 million.
The illegal drugs were intercepted by the PDEA and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group in the cargo office of a delivery courier service in Pasay City.
Aquino said the illegal drug was discovered when authorities conducted random K9 sweeping operation and X-ray screening of inbound packages.
The shabu parcels was sent by a certain Tyler Wilson of Culver City, California and the consignees were identified as Rogelio Almodiel of Taguig City and and Hasmine Erquiza of Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City.
Days before, on Nov. 29, joint elements of PDEA Regional Office-National Capital Region under Director Ismael Fajardo Jr. and NAIA-IADITG member agencies intercepted a package containing approximately six kilograms of suspected shabu worth R30 million in a local branch of a multinational courier delivery service on Andrews Ave., Pasay City.
“The package was declared as toys (wooden blocks-Christmas edition) and its intended receiver was Almodiel,” Aquino said.
On Dec. 4, the same operating unit intercepted another parcel consigned to Erquiza which contained more or less 5.5 kilos of suspected shabu worth R27.5 million. The parcel was passed off as children’s toys and puzzles.
Aquino said that when the parcels were delivered to the consignees’ addresses, both failed to show up and personally receive it.
Almodiel and Erquiza will be charged with violation of Section 4 (Importation of Dangerous Drugs), Article 2 of Republic Act 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The identities and information of the sender and consignees indicated in the parcels are presently the subject of investigation and validation.
NAIA-IADITG is an inter-agency collaboration headed by PDEA whose members include the MIAA, Office for Transportation Security, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice-National Prosecution Service, Bureau of Customs, Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group, Bureau of Immigration, and the PNP Aviation Security Group.