SOPHISTICATED OPERATION Customs enforcers in Subic inspect contraband intercepted at the free port. —PHOTO FROM BUREAU OF CUSTOMS FACEBOOK PAGE
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said that Subic is now under tight watch over alleged smuggling activities, including the seizure of some P3.8 billion worth of illegal drugs that supposedly entered through its port.
“We have to watch Subic. Subic is hot today. Actually, Subic has been pinpointed as the source of agricultural smuggling. It is also pinpointed as the source of many other kinds of smuggling in the country,” he said at a press briefing.
According to him, around 530 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu (crystal meth), which has a street value of P3.8 billion, were seized from a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, on Wednesday night.
Prior to the operation, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Verne Enciso said they received a derogatory report about the contraband and the bureau immediately issued a warrant of seizure.
Remulla said the operation was a result of a multiagency operation led by the National Bureau of Investigation.
Law enforcement agencies seized 59 brown boxes containing 530 mixed red tea bags and golden tea bags. These were later found to contain white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, a dangerous drug under Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
Each box carried with it a plastic bag of chicharon and dog food to conceal the illegal drugs, along with cases of soft drinks and sacks of feeds with Thai markings, the NBI said.
Drug gateway
The illegal drugs arrived at Subic Port on Sept. 18 from Thailand on board a vessel Sitc Shekou, it added.
According to the Bureau of Customs, the shipment was originally declared to contain animal feed from Thailand.
According to Remulla, foreign nationals are “definitely” behind the illegal operation.
“Thailand is one of the sources. The markings of the packaging have Thai marking, placed along with chicharon and animal feed. We don’t know if this was used to hide the smell of drugs. Definitely there’s foreign involvement,” Remulla said, adding that the smuggling operation was conducted in a “very sophisticated” manner.
The NBI said it has been working with other government agencies since 2020 against a drug syndicate that resulted in the seizure of the illegal drugs.
“The NBI task force against illegal drugs through the use of its undercover operative, managed to penetrate the drug syndicate which led to the discovery of the plan to smuggle the drugs into the country and the identity of the personalities involved in the scheme,” it said.
New approach
“The NBI is on the job now pursuing these people,” Remulla said, adding that the bureau is coordinating with the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in preparing the documents for the filing of a case for violation of RA 9165 against the personalities involved in the case.
“The NBI will also conduct financial investigation in tandem with the Anti-Money Laundering Council against the corporations identified being used as conduits to traffic the seized illegal drugs,” he said.
Remulla added that the DOJ is entering into a new approach to the drug war in light of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“This is just one of our approaches on how to reorganize the drug war properly. It’s a matter of perspective and learning the lessons from the past, not to hit blame on anybody but to learn from the lessons of the past,” Remulla said, assuring that due process will be observed in antidrug operations.