DOJ to file charges in court vs woman-consignee of P218-M shabu
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the filing of criminal charges in court against a woman who was arrested for picking up more than P218 million worth of shabu at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last April 17.
In a statement, the DOJ said to be charged in court is Christine Tigranes for importation of illegal drugs under Section 4, Article II of Republic Act (RA) 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and for unlawful importation or exportation under Section 1401 of RA 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
A copy of the DOJ's resolution was not released.
Tigranes was presented for inquest before the DOJ by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) following her arrest.
The complaint stated that Tigranes picked up a shipment that was consigned to her but was found to have contained 32.13 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, with an estimated value of P218 million.
The DOJ said the shipment arrived at the Paircargo warehouse facility at the NAIA on April 13 and was shipped from Harare, Zimbabwe by a certain Isaac Chikore who declared it as “machinery muffler.”
“The parcels were alerted by the X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) Section due to a suspicious image during X-ray examination and then subjected to a one hundred percent (100%) physical examination,” it said.
Also, it said, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency PDEA) Laboratory Service examined the seized illegal drugs.
“The Chemistry Report revealed that the said items, with a total net weight of 31,763 grams, yielded positive results for the presence of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride,” it added.
"May this be a warning to those who continue to associate themselves with illegal drugs. Expect that our crusade against this menace to society will be more vicious in the upcoming days and will never stop until we attain our ultimate goal of a 100 percent drug-free Philippines," said DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla in a statement.
“The Department is firm in its commitment to waging war against drugs,” he assured.