P18-M shabu flushed down toilet

Law enforcers yesterday dumped  almost three kilos of shabu in a pail of water then flushed the drugs  down the toilet.

Only 110 grams were retained as evidence for the ongoing trial  of a Kenyan woman on drug trafficking charges.

Kenyan national  Asha Atieno Ogutu quickly wiped tears from her eyes with her handcuffed hands as she watched the shabu swirling in the pail of water.

Then she turned her back from the crowd. She declined to answer questions from the media and remained  silent throughout the proceedings.

Regional Trial Court Judge Toribio Quiwag of Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City decided to get rid of the bulk of the illegal drugs whose street value was placed at P18 million.

The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 provides that the court, through the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), may “destroy or burn” seized illegal drugs even if the case is still pending in court.

The shabu was  poured into a pail of water then flushed down a  toilet at the Lapu-Lapu City Hall of Justice.

Yesterday’s proceedings was witnessed by PDEA-7 officials led by Regional Director Jigger Montallana, the accused, her counsel, prosecutors, the captain of barangay Pusok and news reporters.

National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) forensic chemist Rommel Paglinawan, the first witness for the prosecution, finished his testimony yesterday.

NBI-7 special investigator Arnel Pura was next to testify about the arrest of  Ogutu at the Mactan International Airport last Sept. 29.

Ogutu’s lawyer Ricardo Amores earlier said he will ask the court to dismiss the case because the  tourist was arrested without a warrant.

Ogutu was arrested by NBI-7 agents upon her arrival at the Mactan airport from Doha, Qatar, on board Qatar Airways Flight 656 at 4 p.m. last Sept. 29.

Drug-sniffing dogs picked out her suitcase. Inside were found two foil packs of shabu concealed in the lining of a checked-in trolley bag. /ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL