Authorities intercept shabu worth P4.3b in North Harbor

August 8, 2018

Combined operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted a shipment of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, worth P4.3 billion in Manila International Container Port (MICP), North Harbor on Tuesday.

The illegal drugs, weighing approximately 500 kilograms, were concealed inside magnetic lifters.

“The intercepted shabu were shipped from Malaysia into the country. We can suspect that Malaysia was used only as a transhipment point. However, the country of origin of the illegal drug is yet to be determined,” said PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino in  a press statement late Tuesday.

"The port operator of the Manila International Container Port (MICP) sent a notice of abandonment on July 30 to the MICP district collector, 30 days after the consignee failed to file an entry for the shipment which arrived on June 28,” Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena said.

After the notice of abandonment, the Bureau of Customs proceeded with the standard operating procedures for examining the abandoned container. While waiting for the examination, the BOC has received an information from PDEA of a shipment that was shipped to MICP allegedly containing illegal drugs.

Upon inspection of the abandoned shipment from Malaysia, the BOC and PDEA authorities found two magnetic scrap lifter which is commonly used equipment in scrap yards. During confirmatory test of PDEA this afternoon, the white crystalline substance concealed inside tested positive for shabu.

MICP District Collector Vener Baquiran has issued a hold order to prevent the release of the shipment from the customs custody.

On July 16, a confidential informant provided the PDEA Regional Office-National Capital Region  under Director Ismael Fajardo Jr. and the PNP Civil Security Group a tip on a shipment of illegal drugs from Malaysia to be smuggled into the country.

Case conferences were held by concerned drug law enforcement agencies to discuss the possible location and identity of the shipment for the conduct of possible negation operation. Continuous intensive efforts led to the tracking of the shabu shipment carried by vessel AS Cecilia intended to be unloaded at MICP.

“Reports revealed that the shipment was consigned to Vecaba Trading under the name of Vedasto Cabral Baraquel of Barangay Lalud, Calapan, Mindoro City. Their identities are currently the subject of investigation,” Aquino said.

The initial result of the preliminary investigation showed that shipment belongs to Vecaba Trading of No. 712 Galicia St., Sampaloc, Manila and was declared to contain door frames. The record shows that the company owned by a certain Vedasto Cabral Baraquel is not accredited with the Bureau of Customs.

“I believe he intends to smuggle this shipment without the clearing process of the BOC. They did not see any chance to smuggle this because of the intensified anti-smuggling operations and the constant alerting of the bureau. It will be very risky on their part if they will push through with the shipment,” the Customs chief said.

The PDEA chief directed the PDEA International Cooperation and Foreign Affairs Service (ICFAS) to  coordinate with counterparts from Malaysia and China regarding the intercepted shabu shipment.  DMS