Police probing shabu importer

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating Zhijian Xu, alias Jacky Co, who was tagged by Sen. Panfilo Lacson as being behind the shipment of 276 kilos of shabu worth P1.8 billion at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), an official said yesterday.

PNP spokesman Col. Bernard Banac said their investigators are conducting a background check on Co, including his activities in the country.

Lacson, in a privilege speech, said Co was allegedly responsible for the shabu shipment was concealed in a 40-foot shipping container and confiscated by authorities on March 22. The shipment was consigned to Wealth Lotus Empire Corp.

Lacson questioned how Co managed to slip in and out of the country despite being on the Interpol watchlist.

Banac said they have yet to unconver any significant information about Co.

“We’re still verifying his background and what we have on him in our records,” he said.

The PNP is in talks with the Interpol for updates on Co’s whereabouts.

But the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Co had no criminal record with the Interpol, contrary to Lacson’s statement.

There was also no record that the Chinese left the country on April 3, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.

“We checked our records and found four individuals with the name Zhijian Xu. But none of them matched the description given by Senator Lacson in his privilege speech,” Sandoval said.   

“None of them had a criminal record. The name Jacky Co also turned out to be a common name,” she added.

According to Lacson, Co left Manila on April 3 on a Philippine Airlines flight to Vietnam.

The BI official said they would coordinate with Lacson to gather more information about Co.

“We would ask the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and intelligence agencies for information on Co’s true identity,” Sandoval said.

‘Tara’ system persists

Meanwhile, Lacson said it’s business as usual for corrupt officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as he lamented the continued entry of illegal drugs into the country.

Lacson said he has been receiving information that the “tara” (grease money) system still exists in the BOC.

“Despite my exposé on corruption in the BOC, much to my dismay, I was informed recently that the tara system has not been, by any chance, suppressed,” Lacson said in a privilege speech.

He said tara is the act of giving money to BOC officials to avoid paying the right taxes.

Lacson said Customs chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero should investigate and identify BOC officials and employees who continue to receive grease money.  –  With Evelyn Macairan, Cecille Suerte Felipe