An estimated P1 billion worth of suspected shabu seized from Malabon warehouse

Authorities seized an estimated P1 billion worth of suspected shabu from a Malabon warehouse on Thursday, May 23./BOC/PDEA/

(Eagle News)–An estimated P1 billion worth of suspected shabu was seized by authorities from a Malabon warehouse, authorities said on Saturday, May 25.

The 146 kilograms of suspected shabu which were found in 30 aluminum pallets where  tonner bags containing tapioca starch were placed  were seized from a Goldwin Commercial warehouse during a joint  operation between the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Customs and other agencies on Thursday, May 23.

The operation was conducted after the Manila International Container Port received a tip from PDEA that a shipment of tapioca starch consigned to Goroyam Trading may contain illegal drugs.

“We take all reports of alleged existence of drugs seriously. That is why we immediately reviewed the shipments that passed through MICP and even subsequent shipments which arrived at the Port after we received the intelligence report,” MICP District Collector Atty. Erastus Sandino B. Austria said.

The BOC was able to identify a shipment that fit the profile from the tip–one that  arrived in the country last January 27, 2019 from Cambodia and was declared to have have  51,000 kilos of tapioca starch exported by HKSTC Trading Co. Ltd in three units of 20-footer container vans.

The shipment had been forfeited in favor of the government last March 1, 2019 after the consignee failed to file an import entry with Customs.

Instead of immediately seizing the illegal shipment, authorities decided to allow the shipment to be auctioned off to draw out possible members of the syndicate behind the shipment.

In April,Goldwin Commercial took the shipment after it won the public bidding, but authorities clarified a background check showed the company did not have connections with illegal drug syndicates.

“Customs is committed to strengthening its intelligence and enforcement capabilities. We have equipped our Customs officers with the proper tools to identify illegal drugs including the proper intelligence-sharing agreements with government authorities,” BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero said.

According to PDEA Director Aaron N. Aquino, the shipment  “is connected to PDEA’s Dasmariñas Cavite operation last February 13 where they seized 36 kilos of shabu worth P244 million, and their operation in Tanza Cavite last February 3 where 274 kilos of shabu worth P1.9 billion was seized.”