PDEA debunks allegations of disagreements with Customs

March 27, 2019

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency ( PDEA) said the seizure of P1.8 million shabu in Manila International Container Port is the fastest coordination they have done with the Bureau of Customs.

“Our recovery last Friday in Manila International Container Port ( MICP) is so far the fastest coordination done with the Bureau of Customs because upon receiving the intelligence (report around) 2 am, we already talked to our counterparts in BOC and by after lunch somewhere (around) 3pm, we opened the container van and isolated 12 boxes out of the 46 through x-ray that contained actual packages of illegal drugs,” PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon said in a press briefing Wednesday.

Carreon said this is the first time they used their new machine to see if the substance is shabu.

“Last Friday, we brought on site what is called a handheld ‘Fourier Transform Infrared’ which took about one minute, more or less to analyze using the laser pointer on the package of the illegal substance. And about less than a minute, we detect, the machine identify it to be positive of shabu,” he said.

He said this showed there is no problem between the two agencies.

“This is to debunk claims that there is a disagreement between PDEA and BOC,” said Carreon.

“It’s a relief that to just know that we have a fast coordination now,” he said.

He said investigation is ongoing on the connection of the recovered illegal drugs from MICP, Tanza in Cavite and Alabang, Muntinlupa.

“So that we will know if there is a possibility there is only one manufacturing method, chromatographic signature, impurity profile then perhaps this all came from the same source,” said Carreon.

Last week, a shipment containing P1.8 billion worth of 276 kilograms of suspected illegal drugs declared as plastic resin contained inside a 40-foot container arrived in the Manila North Harbor.

The container was on board the Callo Bridge (14E) from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and consigned to Wealth Lotus Empire Corporation was seized by the two agencies.

PDEA said it is possible similar shipments containing suspected illegal drugs had arrived in the country. Ella Dionisio/DMS