Five persons have been arrested and charged in court for their alleged involvement in the smuggling into the country of about P2.7 billion worth of shabu (crystal meth) last January, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Thursday, Feb. 6.
During a press conference, NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago identified those arrested and charged as Oscar Campo Berba of Red Shinting, the consignee of the shipment; customs brokers Kevin Lee Manuel Arrio and Richard Perlado Aguantar; and Karen Villaflor Sacro and Rey Baysa Gujilde who are the chairman and president, respectively, of the freight forwarding company Ark Global Movers.
Santiago said the five suspects have been arraigned before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) on non-bailable charges of violations of Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
“‘Yung effort natin ay naging successful. Nakahuli kami ng 404 kilos of shabu worth P2.7 billion,” Santiago said during the press conference held jointly with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Santiago said the shipment was discovered at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) last January 23 and 24 during joint operations conducted by the NBI, BOC, and PDEA.
He said the contents of the van were declared as vermicelli pasta and custards.
However, he said that during inspection the illegal drugs were found inside the boxes of pasta and custards.
Santiago recounted that last December, the NBI received intelligence information from its counterparts in Pakistan that a shipment of shabu was arriving.
The information was relayed to DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla who formed a committee that involved the PDEA and the BOC.
Following the conduct of an investigation, Santiago said the five accused were asked to come for the opening of the boxes inside the container van that arrived from Pakistan.
He said that under the drug law “hindi kami pwede mag-examine ng something na wala ‘yung may-ari.”
“Dumating naman sila hindi nila akalain buko na sila. So dumating sila and when we opened the boxes, ayun na nga, tumambad na mga laman ay ganito,” he also said.
Santiago, a former judge, explained that the presence of the accused during the inspection was done “in accordance with Section 21 of the drug law kaya eto meron po tayong airtight case.” (Jeffrey Damicog)
