The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) said its anti-drugs efforts have led to the seizure of nearly 800 kilograms of illegal drugs worth more than P7.6 billion and the arrest of several suspects in a span of 11 months.
In a statement, BOC said drug seizures made during intelligence operations from July 2016 to May 2017 in several ports and warehouses across the country yielded at least 795 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.
The latest anti-illegal drugs accomplishment report released by the BOC showed that the biggest catch came on May 26, 2017, when 605 kilos of high-grade shabu with an estimated street value of P6.4 billion were confiscated.
The haul was made in raids on two warehouses in Valenzuela City by operatives of BOC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), assisted by their counterparts from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
BOC cancelled the importer’s accreditation of the identified consignee, EMT Trading, effective May 30, 2017, and arrested the warehouse caretakers and turned over the illegal drugs to the NBI and PDEA.
On February 17 also of this year, the CIIS seized precursor chemicals (STC hydrochloric acid) valued at P3 million at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Cagayan de Oro when the importer failed to present a permit to import.
The shipment originated from India and arrived at the Port of Cagayan de Oro on January 31, 2017.
On its anti-drug operations in 2016, BOC reported that it intercepted 58,335 grams of cocaine worth P300.9 million from arriving passengers and seized 6,529 ecstasy pills worth P9.7 million. It also intercepted P7.4 million worth of shabu from a number of outgoing and incoming passengers last year.
On July 3, 2016, joint operatives from the anti-illegal drugs group of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the CIIS recovered 187 kilos of shabu found in a shipment that landed in Claveria, Cagayan.
A total of 180 plastic packs of suspected shabu hidden in seven black bags with markings “Leah D” and one big ice box holding the illegal drugs worth an estimated P900 million were found.
A week later, a Chinese fishing vessel was intercepted and four of its Chinese crew were arrested by combined elements of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), PDEA, and CIIS.
CIIS agents first conducted thorough intelligence and tracking operations that led to the seizure of the fishing vessel that was located anchored off Subic Bay in Barangay Calapandayan in Subic, Zambales.
The inspection team demanded to see maritime and other pertinent documents from the crew to prove they were not involved in illegal drug operations. When the crew failed to provide proof, an inspection was conducted, with the PCG Narcotic Canine Dogs locating the presence of illegal drugs.
Seized from the scene were a self-sealing plastic pack containing crystalline substances believed to be shabu and hidden inside a travelling bag in the lower cabin, and a hydrogenator commonly used to manufacture shabu.
