Customs turns over seized hazardous chemical to PDEA

SEALED. A worker seals off a container van containing the chemical hydrochloric acid that was seized in 2017 and was forfeited in favor of the government. (Jigger J. Jerusalem)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY –– Three container vans full of a hazardous chemical essential in manufacturing crystal meth (“shabu”) were recently turned over by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The haul of hydrochloric acid was placed in 320 plastic drums and imported from India.

Each drum contains 275 kilograms of the acid. The whole cargo weighs 88,000 kilograms. It was manufactured in December 2016 and expired in November 2017.

BOC-10 identified the consignee as Juchem Enterprises, reportedly engaged in the import and export business.

In 2017, the BOC national office removed Juchem Enterprises from its list of accredited importers following the seizure of the chemical.

John Simon, BOC-10 district collector, said the substance arrived at the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) sub-port in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental on Jan. 31, 2017.

The Customs confiscated the imported chemical on Feb. 17, 2017, and was forfeited in favor of the government on Sept. 7 of that year since the shipment had no necessary permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Food and Drugs Administration, and PDEA.

BOC-10 estimated the chemicals to be worth P20 million.

Reports said the courts dismissed the case filed against the consignee due to technicalities, but the confiscated goods were forfeited in favor of the government.

While turned over to PDEA, the seized items would continue to be stored at the MCT, pending its disposal.

Emerson Rosales, PDEA-10 regional director, said businesses that import hydrochloric acid for legitimate use had to obtain permits from concerned agencies, including PDEA.

“What we do is to ensure that this chemical is not diverted to (illegal) drug laboratories that manufacture shabu,” Rosales said.

He said PDEA-10 has to request from the court an order of destruction before it could dispose of the chemical.

LZB