ZAMBOANGA
CITY: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents intercepted a
P1.5-million worth of shabu shipment at the Zamboanga International Airport
(ZIA), a new report reaching The Philippine Preview said.
PDEA
said the shipment was detected by a bomb-sniffing dog while in regular inspection
of cargoes of boarding passengers.
The
Aviation Security Group (AVSEGroup) and Office of the Transport Security (OTS)
of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) conducts the
inspection on a regular basis.
But
this time, PDEA cross the threshold after information of dubious shabu shipment
was received by their office.
A
bomb-sniffing dog detected the cargo, which PDEA said, came from Manila and was
bound for Jolo, Sulu.
Joseph
Ladip, Pdea regional director for
Western Mindanao, said the shabu weighed about one-half kilo, and was packed in
two small boxes and concealed inside a stereo component speaker.
Ladip
added they have the name of the shipper from Manila and consignee of the cargo
and are now tracking their identities and addresses.
PDEA
said they received reports about a prohibited drugs shipment to go by this city’s
airport that’s why they tightened security and enforced strict inspection of all
cargos.
Since
last year, authorities already have intercepted millions of pesos worth of
shabu at this city’s airport, it was learned.
Last
January, for example, a shipment of about 200 grams of shabu was intercepted at the airport’s check-in area by personnel manning the x-ray scan
machine at the airport.
The
shabu was wrapped in black plastics, placed in three coffee packs and packed in
a five-kilogram box.