Rise of Pinoy drug mules in China alarms DDB
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/24/2008 1:18 PM
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The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) on Wednesday sounded the alarm over the growing number of Filipinos being arrested in China for drug smuggling.
DDB Chairman Vicente Sotto III said two Filipinos were arrested in just a week at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport for carrying heroin.
"This is a cause for great alarm for government and for us. But I was really disheartened because it some Filipinos are not listening to the government," Sotto said.
He said the latest to be arrested was a 33-year-old woman. She was nabbed Tuesday night at the Shanghai for carrying five pairs of shoes filled with an undetermined amount of heroin.
Sotto said the woman was carrying a tourist visa and was on board Cebu Pacific flight 5J678 from Manila when arrested.
Last September 15, a 25-year-old Filipino male was also nabbed at the same airport aboard another Cebu Pacific flight from Manila.
The Filipino was caught with 1.2 kilograms of heroin.
Sotto said the two Filipinos could face sentences up to life imprisonment or death for acting as heroin couriers.
Sotto cautioned Filipinos against transporting drugs and reminded them "it is not worth it."
He said he has coordinated with airport authorities and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to conduct "a complete cleanup and sweep of international airports" and determine possible collusion of airport personnel with drug syndicates.
"We already have a big headache on importation, now we are already exporting it. We're reminding our kababayans not to get lured by big bucks. It's not worth it, if you're going to spend your life in jail or meet death." Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
