Look out for drugs stashed in food, Customs told

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has asked the Bureau of Customs to be on the lookout for drugs stashed in food items.

PDEA director general Aaron Aquino said drugs are now concealed inside some food items, citing the P1.8-billion shabu shipment seized in the Manila port earlier this week.

“We are looking into this, we are asking the BOC to be on the lookout for these items… the drugs are usually stashed inside rice containers, sugar and other organic matter. They can be concealed to pass X-ray machines,” Aquino said.

Customs officials and PDEA agents found 276 packs of shabu worth a total of P1.8 billion after they opened a container van that was declared as plastic resin cargo. 

Aside from the use of plastic resin, Aquino also mentioned tea wrappers as means to hide the drugs.

He said this is how the Golden Triangle syndicate packs their drugs.

“They are packing their drugs in tea bags. This is how the Golden Triangle syndicate operates,” he said.

Aquino said similar illegal drug seizures have been seen in Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos. 

The seizure at the Manila port came after PDEA received information from Vietnam that a shipment was coming into the country carrying illegal drugs. 

The information came after local police in Vietnam seized an estimated 300 kilos of shabu in Ho Chi Minh City that used similar method of packaging.

The two drug seizures in Muntinlupa City and Manila port totaled P2.8 billion.