De Lima fears backdoor entry of Mexican drug cartel assassins

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Friday admitted that the government will have difficulty monitoring foreign assassins targeting the arrested members of a Mexican drug cartel if they slip into the country through the backdoor.

De Lima said the Bureau of Immigration has been alerted about the possible entry of foreign hit men based on the intelligence information gathered by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“If they [assassins] try to enter [the country] through the usual ports of entry, they will have difficulty sneaking past through our security but if they try to enter the backdoor, then we will have difficulty,” De Lima said.

Canadians James Riach and Barry Espadilla were arrested during separate raids in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig and Makati City last Jan. 15. Seized during the operations were various illegal drugs, including cocaine and shabu.

Both are convicted felons in Canada.

According to the website of the Vancouver Sun, Riach was convicted in 2010 for possession and careless storage of a loaded .45-calibre semi-automatic pistol, while Espadilla was convicted of manslaughter, and heroin and cocaine possession.

Riach and Espadilla arrived in the Philippines undetected because there was no alert from the Interpol and Canadian authorities about their criminal records, she said.

RELATED STORY

PNP files drug raps vs 3 Mexican nationals