By Betheena Kae Unite
A shipment of 500 kilos of illegal drugs worth P3.4 billion was intercepted at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) late Tuesday.
The drug shipment, according to the Bureau of Customs, is one of the largest drug haul in the Philippine history.
Bureau of Customs personnel and agents from PDEA check customized cylindrical steel case filled with 500 kilos of shabu amounting to P3.4 billion seized at the at the Manila International Container Port, August 7, 2018. (Contributed photo/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Concealed in two magnetic lifters, weighing four tons each, the drug shipment was discovered after a couple of tries of detection using K9 sniffing dogs from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena said.
"Masyadong makapal 'yung bakal. Noong unang pina-inspect walang na-detect. Noong in-open saka nag-react ang mga PDEA K9 (The magnetic lifters are very thick. During the first try of inspection, we did not detect anything. But we opened it, the PDEA K9 dohs reacted) and the shipment was later confirmed as shabu," Lapena said.
It was further disclosed that the illegal drugs were shipped from Malaysia into the country. However, PDEA said that Malaysia "might just be a transshipment point of the illegal drugs."
The real origin of the shabu is still being tracked down.
"It came from Malaysia but we suspect that it came from another country. Naging transhipment point lang ang Malaysia. Although, Malaysia also smuggled drugs dito sa ating bansa pero we suspect that it came from another country," PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said.
Not accredited consignee
It was further revealed that the shipment was consigned to Vecaba Trading International which is not accredited by the Bureau of Customs.
"On our record, this is the first shipment that was sent to Vecaba. In fact, yang Vecaba Trading International is not accredited by the BOC," Lapena said.
Vecaba is owned by a Filipino identified as Vedasio Cabral Baraquel, of Sampaloc, Manila.
Investigation showed that the shipment arrived at the MICP on June 28 but has since been abandoned at the Asian Terminal Inc. It was only declared as door frames.
The PDEA, on the other hand, informed the Customs bureau that they have received an intelligence report that a drug shipment has entered the country through the MICP.
This led to the opening of the container van and discovery of the drug shipment.
"Hindi siya nag-undergo ng any part of clearing process of the customs because the consignee was not even accredited by the bureau," Lapena said stressing that the smugglers has the intention to release the shipment illegally but they were not able to pull it through.
Drug syndicate
According to the PDEA Chief, a drug syndicate might be the one behind the drug shipment -- a syndicate that is prominent in drug smuggling.
"We have been tracking the group -- the sender of the shipment -- seven years ago," Aquino said refusing to identify the group as the investigation is underway.
Lapena, on the other hand, suspects that some personnel within the bureau are working with the smugglers.
"Maybe they still have connections with people who can help them to bring the shipment and release it undetected but it did not happen. It could be anybody that has connection with the BOC," Lapena said.
Lapena stressed that as of press time, the Philippines is already coordinating with Malaysia in a bid to determine the country of origin of the drug shipment.
In 2017, a P6.4-billion drug shipment slipped out of the Bureau of Customs before it was recovered in a warehouse in Valenzuela City. It was the largest drug haul ever recorded in the country.
Bureau of Customs personnel and agents from PDEA check customized cylindrical steel case filled with 500 kilos of shabu amounting to P3.4 billion seized at the at the Manila International Container Port, August 7, 2018. (Contributed photo/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Concealed in two magnetic lifters, weighing four tons each, the drug shipment was discovered after a couple of tries of detection using K9 sniffing dogs from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena said.
"Masyadong makapal 'yung bakal. Noong unang pina-inspect walang na-detect. Noong in-open saka nag-react ang mga PDEA K9 (The magnetic lifters are very thick. During the first try of inspection, we did not detect anything. But we opened it, the PDEA K9 dohs reacted) and the shipment was later confirmed as shabu," Lapena said.
It was further disclosed that the illegal drugs were shipped from Malaysia into the country. However, PDEA said that Malaysia "might just be a transshipment point of the illegal drugs."
The real origin of the shabu is still being tracked down.
"It came from Malaysia but we suspect that it came from another country. Naging transhipment point lang ang Malaysia. Although, Malaysia also smuggled drugs dito sa ating bansa pero we suspect that it came from another country," PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said.
Not accredited consignee
It was further revealed that the shipment was consigned to Vecaba Trading International which is not accredited by the Bureau of Customs.
"On our record, this is the first shipment that was sent to Vecaba. In fact, yang Vecaba Trading International is not accredited by the BOC," Lapena said.
Vecaba is owned by a Filipino identified as Vedasio Cabral Baraquel, of Sampaloc, Manila.
Investigation showed that the shipment arrived at the MICP on June 28 but has since been abandoned at the Asian Terminal Inc. It was only declared as door frames.
The PDEA, on the other hand, informed the Customs bureau that they have received an intelligence report that a drug shipment has entered the country through the MICP.
This led to the opening of the container van and discovery of the drug shipment.
"Hindi siya nag-undergo ng any part of clearing process of the customs because the consignee was not even accredited by the bureau," Lapena said stressing that the smugglers has the intention to release the shipment illegally but they were not able to pull it through.
Drug syndicate
According to the PDEA Chief, a drug syndicate might be the one behind the drug shipment -- a syndicate that is prominent in drug smuggling.
"We have been tracking the group -- the sender of the shipment -- seven years ago," Aquino said refusing to identify the group as the investigation is underway.
Lapena, on the other hand, suspects that some personnel within the bureau are working with the smugglers.
"Maybe they still have connections with people who can help them to bring the shipment and release it undetected but it did not happen. It could be anybody that has connection with the BOC," Lapena said.
Lapena stressed that as of press time, the Philippines is already coordinating with Malaysia in a bid to determine the country of origin of the drug shipment.
In 2017, a P6.4-billion drug shipment slipped out of the Bureau of Customs before it was recovered in a warehouse in Valenzuela City. It was the largest drug haul ever recorded in the country.