DAVAO CITY – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Davao is tracing back the movement of a reefer van, which was found to have concealed 400 grams of cocaine at the Dadiangas sub-port in General Santos City on November 30.
In a stated issued Thursday, BOC Davao District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria has ordered a thorough investigation of the incident in coordination with other concerned agencies.
“We will never allow the Port of Davao and its sub-ports to be used as the entry point of illegal drugs,” Austria said, adding that, “In light of this seizure, I have ordered all BOC front-liners to be more vigilant during their watch.”
Earlier, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 12 (PDEA-12) seized more or less 400 grams of suspected cocaine inside an empty reefer van on November 30 at the International Repair Services (IRS) in Barangay Labangal, General Santos City.
The discovery of the illegal drugs was prompted by an informant’s tip when an aircon technician trying to fix the van’s air conditioning system discovered the suspected cocaine concealed in the van’s aircon condenser.
Immediately upon the order of Austria, an investigation on the incident was conducted, and Support Collector Elenita Abano of the Port of Dadiangas issued a Mission Order to form a composite team, in coordination with other concerned agencies.
She added that with the incident, there was a need to enhance the monitoring of shipments entering the country, especially in their area.
“There could be attempts to take advantage of the holiday season to try to sneak illegal drugs into the country. That is why we should be even more alert during the holidays,” Abano said.