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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider ​South Africa warns nationals after becoming 'red-flag' country for PH over drug arrests

​South Africa warns nationals after becoming 'red-flag' country for PH over drug arrests

Published Feb 25, 2026 04:04 pm
The South African embassy in Manila has warned against a "concerning increase in arrests" in Philippine airports and seaports for drug-related offenses, reportedly originating from South Africa.
Over the past 12 months, the embassy said, an increasing number of individuals, particularly those coming from or transiting through flights from the capital, Johannesburg, have been arrested.
And as such, Philippine authorities have now classified South Africa as a red-flag country, it said.
"Additionally, several drug consignments intercepted at Philippine ports were traced to shipment addresses in Johannesburg," the embassy added.
Its statement, posted on its Facebook page Wednesday, Feb. 25, came after police arrested a South African national after intercepting from him P40.8 million worth of shabu at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Police said they were eyeing a drug syndicate in South Africa that might be responsible for sending drug couriers to the Philippines.
"This pattern has raised serious concern with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which has formally engaged with the Embassy on this distributing trend," it added.

'PH law is extremely strict'

The embassy also warned that the Philippine law is strict on drug-related offenses, imposing life imprisonment for drug trafficking and large-scale possession.
"This penalty applies equally to foreign nationals and Philippine citizens. There are no special exemptions," it said.
It also said that ignorance of the law is not a defense as much as economic hardship is not a justification for drug charges.
"No economic difficulty can justify spending the rest of your life in foreign prision thousands of miles from home. Drug trafficking defeats the very reasoning often used to rationalize it—it leaves individuals in a far worse situation than before," it said.
"This is not alarmism. It is fact," it added.
The embassy also warned its nationals that routes to the Philippines include transit through countries that impose higher penalties, such as death.
At any stage of travel, authorities in transit countries may intercept and arrest passengers, it added.
The embassy said that it could only provide consular assistance to its nationals who might be involved in such activity, such as facilitating communication with the family, but never financial assistance or securing release from the Philippine authorities' custody.
"Nothing is free. The same modus operandi has been observed across all recent arrests—vulnerable individuals, both young and older, exploited with promises of quick financial gain," it added.

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South Africa PH-South Africa
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