Airport cops arrest Taiwanese with shabu

A Taiwanese passenger was arrested by the aviation unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday after friskers found in his possession a plastic bag containing traces of shabu as well as drug paraphernalia.

Police Inspector Eugene Marcelo, duty officer of the 1st Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS), a group under the PNP-Aviation Security Group (ASG), identified the suspect as To-Chieh Wang, 37.

He was arrested for possession of shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Marcelo said Wang was arrested by police at around noon at the final checkpoint at Gate 3, East Concourse of the NAIA Terminal 1 building.

He was scheduled to board a plane of Eva Air Flight BR-272 at 12:50 p.m. bound for Taiwan.

The flight was delayed and left at 1:30 p.m. when Eva Air staff tried to look for Wang.

The suspect was detained by the police at the NAIA and scheduled to be transferred to the Pasay City police headquarters.

He will be charged at the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office for violation of Republic Act 9165, or illegal possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Found in his possession were a plastic bag containing traces of shabu, a plastic straw used as improvised tooter, and a glass tubing.

The plastic containing the shabu was placed inside a plastic container of a mouthwash. The items were wrapped with stationery and placed inside a small plastic bag.

The paraphernalia and the illegal drug were found by duty frisker Brixton Altura and his supervisor PO1 Enrique Frias. They were inside the right pants pocket of Wang, who was wearing a khaki-colored cargo shorts, a red shirt and eyeglasses.

Police said the suspect was apparently still high on drugs when they arrested him.

Wang, for his part, said that he uses methampethamine to lose weight.

He said that he bought the drug in Taiwan before coming to the Philippines. He takes the drug before eating.

Wang, who admitted it was methampethamine, said he arrived in the Philippines a few days ago and stayed in the country for two days and two nights.

When interviewed, Wang said he travels to the Philippines once or twice a year to recruit employees for Taiwan, but couldn’t say for what kind of jobs.

However, contrary to reports made by the police, one immigration officer said Wang was found inside the men’s toilet sniffing shabu at the departure’s boarding gate.