Marijuana claimant arrested

A composite team from the Customs - Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency - Central Visayas Region, and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group used a controlled delivery scheme in their operation to arrest the claimant of the shipment in Cebu City.

The claimant Jan Robert Pareles was placed under arrest after receiving the package delivered by “FedEx personnel” at Asmara Urban Resort, 1 Paseo Saturnino Street in Barangay Banilad last Wednesday.

Based on import documents, the shipment was declared as “Shisha”, shipped by a certain Richard Mrozek of Spain and consigned to a certain Mateo Abato of Cebu City.

The cargo arrived at Federal Express Warehouse in Pasay City on Sept. 18. It was found to contain kush marijuana through profiling conducted by Customs NAIA agents.

The Customs bureau immediately coordinated with its office in Cebu, PDEA in Region 7, and FedEx management to organize an entrapment operation to apprehend the consignee and the owner of the controlled shipment.

The controlled delivery technic is used when a consignment of illicit drugs is detected and allowed to go forward under the control and surveillance of law enforcement officers in order to secure evidence against the organizers of such illicit drug traffic.

This operation has proven effective in some countries in identifying and bringing to justice principals, organizers and financiers of the drug trade.

The Customs-NAIA immediately turned over the seized illegal drugs to PDEA for further profiling.

Charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165) in relation to Sections 118 (Prohibited Importation), 1113 (Goods Liable for Seizure and Forfeiture) and 1401 (Unlawful Importation) of the Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), will be filed against the shipment’s owner and importer.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero commended the Port of NAIA for its latest accomplishment.

He also praised the men from Customs office in Cebu, especially the Enforcement Security Service and Intelligence and Investigation Service, and PDEA for successfully conducting the anti-drugs controlled delivery operation.

The Port of NAIA assured the bureau remains vigilant against the entry of prohibited drugs and other contraband at the airport.