By Chito Chavez
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday filed charges against Chinese national Xu Zhi Jian also known as Jacky Co and 16 other personalities for their alleged involvement in the importation of shabu worth P1.8 billion.
ANOTHER HUGE SEIZURE – Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel make an inventory of the P1.8-billion shabu shipment that was intercepted at the Port of Manila. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Aside from Xu, those charged were Dong An Dong, Julie Hao Gamboa, Fe Tamayosa, Alvin Bautista, Jane Abello Castillo, Carlo Dale T. Zueta, Abraham G. Torecampo, Arwin P. Caparros, Leonardo S. Sucaldito, and Mark Leo D. Magpayo, Brian Pabilona, Meldy Sayson, Rhea Tolosa, Edgardo Dominado, Jerry Siguenza, and Debbie Joy Aceron.
PDEA Director General Aaron N Aquino said the “charges were filed in violation of Section 4 (Importation of Dangerous Drugs), in relation to Section 31 (Additional Penalty if Offender is an Alien) of R.A. No. 9165, The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended by R.A. No. 10640, Section 4, in relation to Section 30 (Criminal Liability of Officers of Partnerships, Corporations, Associations or other Juridical Entities) of R.A. No. 9165 as amended by R.A. No. 10640 against the officers and directors of Wealth Lotus Empire Corporation and Fortuneyield Cargo Services’’.
On March 22, joint operatives of PDEA, RO-NCR, PDEA Seaport Interdiction Unit, PDEA Intelligence and Investigation Service, PDEA Special Enforcement Service – K9 Unit, PDEA Region IV-A, PDEA International Cooperation and Foreign Affairs Service, Bureau of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, MICP-Office of the District Collector, Philippine Coast Guard and CGSOF TASK Force Aduana, acting on a tip from their counterparts from Vietnam conducted an interdiction operation at Manila International Container Port – Container Freight Station 3 (MICP-CFS3).
The operation resulted in the confiscation of 276,344.82 grams of shabu concealed in sacks of plastic resin worth P1,876,800,000.
Further investigation conducted by the PDEA RO-NCR revealed the dangerous drugs were concealed with legally imported merchandise (plastic resins) on the chance that the former could escape detection.
“Documents and affidavits would show that the acts committed by the respondents have a vital connection to the chain of conspiracy, that without such acts, the unlawful importation would be unsuccessful,” Aquino said. “Filing the appropriate charges will serve as a warning to those individuals, especially to government employees, who extend assistance in drug trafficking.”
Aquino noted that PDEA had strengthened its collaboration with its foreign counterparts “with the end view of putting a stop to bulk smuggling of dangerous drugs.”