Gov’t seizes P2.65-M cocaine in Taguig City, says bust linked to Muntinlupa City raid

MANILA, Philippines — Around 500 grams of suspected cocaine, approximately worth P2.65 million, have been confiscated during a joint operation by different government agencies in a Taguig City warehouse.

In a statement Wednesday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said they partnered with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and coordinated with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to raid the storage facility at the AFP-RSBS Industrial Park on Tuesday night.

The BOC said the operation in Taguig City is linked to the November 18 raid of two houses in the upscale Ayala-Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City, where more than P149 million worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) and other equipment purportedly used to produce illegal drugs were seized and two foreign nationals and a Filipino citizen were arrested.

READ: ‘Shabu lab’ uncovered in Muntinlupa City, drugs worth P149.6M seized

Agents from BOC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), PDEA’s Intelligence Investigation Service, and other operatives also found the following items, illegal substances, and drug paraphernalia in the warehouse:

• e-cigarettes and vape cartridges containing suspected marijuana oil
• around 30 grams of suspected kush/ hybrid marijuana
• identification cards
• glass and plastic tubes with suspected marijuana oil
• one bag with empty capsules
• Ziplock bags with suspected illegal drug residue

The confiscated pieces of evidence have been turned over to PDEA’s Laboratory Service for examination. Complaints were also being readied against the warehouse owners, whose identities were not divulged by authorities as of this writing.

BOC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said that the recent string of high-profile drug busts resulted from tight cooperation between the agencies, as information provided by one agency is acted upon quickly.

Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy, meanwhile, said that stopping illegal drugs from passing through BOC, and intercepting them are the bureau’s top priorities.

“One of our best assets is the partnership we have with different government agencies. We maximize that relationship by bringing information to the table and acting on it immediately. That’s also why many of our operations against illegal drugs, in particular, have been successful… because we have an all-hands-on-deck approach,” he said.

“Being able to put an end to the entry and proliferation of illegal drugs is the top priority of my being a deputy commissioner now. The agency works very hard to achieve our mandate and perform our duties at full capacity,” Uy added.

Last November 18, PDEA revealed that they managed to seize more than 20 kilograms of shabu in two houses within the posh Ayala-Alabang Village. French national Aurelien Cythere, 41; Filipino businessman Mark Anthony Sarayot, 42; and Canadian-Iranian national Ariana Golisorkhi, 33, were arrested in the operation.

READ: Lab in upscale village made meth ‘for export’

The BOC said the suspects used a different method of manufacturing shabu – one in which the byproduct did not emit a foul odor. This means residents of the area did not notice that shabu was already being produced inside the village.

It also admitted that the arrested suspects were connected to drug smuggling activities.

READ: BOC: Muntinlupa drug bust a product of joint ops, monitoring smugglers

CIIS Director Jeoffrey Tacio said the BOC has strengthened its fight against smuggling, including illegal drugs.

“Eliminating the illegal drugs trade and all other smuggled products is the cornerstone of this agency. These operations show our commitment to that cause,” Tacio said.

“Moving forward, we have intensified this fight and have fulfilled the tasks promised by our President of protecting the country’s borders, market, and making sure our society remains free from drugs,” he added.

KGA/abc