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Philippines

'Shabu' in tea bag: Authorities intercept P1.6-M illegal drugs in Pasay warehouse

Philippines

'Shabu' in tea bag: Authorities intercept P1.6-M illegal drugs in Pasay warehouse

By Ariel Fernandez

Authorities have seized a package containing various tea products containing 240 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" worth P1,632,000 at a warehouse in Pasay City, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Friday, April 23.

BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the package was intercepted by joint elements of the BOC Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG).

According to Guerrero, it was discovered upon physical check by a Customs examiner that one of the tea product's packaging was used to conceal the illegal drugs.

Samples were submitted to a PDEA laboratory for verification until it yielded positive results for methamphetamine, Guerrero said.

Records showed that the package came from Malaysia just like the P1.63 billion worth of shabu wrapped in a tea packaging that were also seized by airport and anti-narcotics agents on Oct. 31, 2020.

The package declared as “assorted foodstuff” was shipped by a certain “Yong Lee Chei” and sent to a consignee from Caloocan City.

The parcel was turned over to PDEA for case profiling and build up.

Investigators conducted a follow-up probe to identify the suspects behind the sending of the shabu-bearing tea package.

Guerrero said they will be charged for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165) in relation to Section 119 (Restricted Importation) and Section1401 (Unlawful Importation) of Republic Act 10863 otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Related Tags

Tea SHABU BOC PDEA NAIA

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