Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon today (December 6, 2012) led the filing of criminal charges against five (5) foreign nationals caught by alert Customs Task Group/Force on Dangerous Drugs and Controlled Chemicals officials while trying to smuggle-in a total of 17.649 kilos of dangerous drugs worth PhP 88,246,145.00 in October this year at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

According to Biazon, the five (5) foreign nationals arrived at the country’s premier airport in different flights and different dates. However, Biazon suspects that most, if not all of them are drug mules of an international drug trafficking syndicate because of the similarities on the way the drugs they had with them were concealed.

“Except for the Taiwanese national who had his illegal drugs concealed in his pocket, all the rest had their drugs concealed in false compartments of their luggage,” Biazon said. But this modus can no longer escape the alert and trained eyes of our operatives who are always on a heightened monitoring level for dangerous drugs, if only to help keep our youths safe from this social menace,” he added.

Charged at the Department of Justice for violation of Section 3601 in relation to Section 101 and Section 2530 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines, as amended, and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, were Thai Nationals Napaporn Khamsa who was caught with 3.2558 kilos of shabu worth Php 16,279,450.00 upon his arrival from Dubai on October 20, 2012 and Raphirat Sukkasem who was also caught with 2.988 kilos of Shabu worth Php.14,940,000.00 upon his arrival from Dubai on October 21, 2012. Taiwanese Yi Wei Tan was caught with .0057395 kgs. of Ketamine Hydrochloride worth 28,000.00 upon his arrival from Taipei on October 29,2012, while Vietnamese Pham Thi Anh Tuyet was caught with 2.662 kgs. of Shabu worth Php 13,313,000.00 upon his arrival from Bahrain on October 29, 2012. And, Indonesian national Dwi Wulandari for his part was caught with 8.737 kgs. of Cocaine worth Php 43,685,000.00 upon his arrival from Dubai on October 29, 2012.

Biazon has ordered the lawyers of the Bureau’s Run-After-The-Smuggler (RATS), the BOC unit that is responsible for the filing of cases against smugglers, which is headed by Deputy Commissioner Peter Manzano, to vigorously pursue the cases filed against the foreign drug mules saying that, this should serve as a warning to everyone, especially the travelling public that the Philippines is no place for drug mules. “These drug mules are far worse than smugglers.  They deserve to be meted the maximum penalty provided by law. “ Biazon stressed.

For his part, Manzano said that in compliance with the Commissioner’s instruction, his lawyers will do everything to get a conviction on these cases. “If we need to do extra work hours in pursuing these cases, we will do it, if only to get convictions”, Manzano said.  Â

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