Party drugs intercepted at post office
Around 5,000 tablets of ecstasy worth R7.5 million and five amphetamine blocks were presented by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday after being intercepted at the Manila Central Post Office last July.
Deputy Commissioner Arnel Alcaraz of the BOC Enforcement Group (EG) said the five parcels were seized after being detected by their K9 unit. The interception was carried out by the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force (CAIDTF) under the BOC-EG, the Port of Manila Collection District, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“Pinatest doon sa K9 and inupuan na noong aso so nag-positive. We get samples, pinatest and the chemical analysis showed na illegal drugs siya (The K9 unit sat on the parcel indicating that it contained drugs. We got samples, had them tested, and the chemical analysis showed that it really was illegal drugs),” he said.
According to Alcaraz, the illegal drugs were found inside five parcels – three consigned to a certain Don Arnold and two consigned to a certain Martin Domingo – which were originally declared as toys from the Netherlands. He noted that they have received information about the shipment but refused to divulge further information.
BOC said authorities were waiting for the consignees to claim the parcel for them to be arrested however, they did not show up. Alcaraz said more operations and investigation are being conducted by the BOC and PDEA.
The Customs official added that the modus of the drug syndicates is to order illegal drugs online using fake identities, utilizing bitcoins as payment, and coursing the transit of said parcels via the Philippine Postal (PhilPost) service.
“Lahat ng parcel natin via airmail, bumabagsak sa central mail exchange sa airport, then ipapadala yan sa respective post offices kung saan naka-consign (All parcels which arrive via airmail go straight to the airport’s central mail exchange before they are sent to the respective post offices where they are consigned),” he said.
According to PDEA Assistant Regional Director Christian Frivaldo, the shipment is most likely intended for young, high-end drug users.
“Ito ay intended talaga as party drugs (these are intended to make party drugs),” he said.
The amphetamine found in one of the parcels is classified as dangerous drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002. The importation of such type of drugs requires prior import permit (S 5-1) from PDEA.
Alcaraz said the five blocks of amphetamine when processed can translate to tens of thousands of amphetamine that can be sold. Only 0.1 gram of amphetamine is needed to make ecstasy, it was reported.
However, Frivaldo said it is still early to tell if the interception is connected with the arrested pharmacist in Mandaluyong who sold party drugs in high-end bars and clubs.
“We are trying to exhaust all information so we can establish connections but for now, we can’t really disclose anything because it is still an ongoing investigation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said drugs smuggling in the country only means that there is a serious case of drug dependency in the country.