By Betheena Kae Unite, Ariel Fernandez
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) turned over yesterday to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) some P133.6 million worth of confiscated shabu and marijuana, which came from the United States and concealed in five parcels.
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said the 15.96 kilos of shabu and 1.03 kilos of marijuana were seized at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while another two kilos of shabu were seized at the Port of Clark.
The P133.6 million drug parcels, according to him, were declared as DVD players, furniture, cereals and chairs. They were intercepted by customs agents at the Fedex warehouse with fictitious senders and claimant.
Lapena identified the senders as Taylor Dizion, Eagler Po Box Rental, Gina Gamboa, Raven Mesina, Donna Mendoza and consigned to a certain Christina Dizon, Alvin Santiago, Sergio Gamboa Natividad, Gracen Washington and Ricardo Mendoza.
Lapeña said that with the mission to reduce supply of illegal drugs, the cooperation between the Customs bureau and the PDEA have “improved a lot.”
“Yung mga hindi nangyayari noon na cooperation between PDEA and the BoC, e nangyayari na ngayon. We have better result because of the cooperation of the two agencies,” he added.
It can be recalled that upon assuming post as the Commissioner in 2017, Lapeña directed customs agents to leave the drug operations to the PDEA and cooperate with them at all times.