P141 million shabu from US seized at NAIA warehouse

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted 20.8 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu with a street value of P141 million at the Federal Express warehouse at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday.

The shabu, stashed in two speakers shipped from the United States, was detected by customs officers after the parcels passed through an X-ray machine.

BOC-NAIA district collector Mimel Talusan said the shipment was turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for further investigation. 

Talusan refused to identify the consignee and sender pending the results of the investigation.

She said importing dangerous drugs is a crime punishable under Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, in relation to RA 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Pasay employee, 2 others held

Meanwhile, a Pasay City government employee, his son and his son’s friend were arrested in a sting before dawn yesterday.

Alfredo Sebastian, 57; Vicente Moises Sebastian, 18; and John Lerry Faulmino, 21, were caught in the Sebastians’ house on Estrella street.

Cpl. Zeus Magdasoc said Sebastian is a driver for the city government’s disaster risk reduction and management office.

The two younger men are in the drug watchlist of the city police, which staged the operation to catch the teenager.

Police said 27.4 grams of shabu with a street value of P186,320, drug paraphernalia and cash were seized from the three men.

Magdasoc told The STAR that the younger Sebastian has been in the police’s crosshairs for the past year following reports of his alleged drug deals.

He added that there were instances that the elder Sebastian used his position at the city hall to get his son out of trouble.

“Maybe that is why his son became confident in doing illegal activities,” Magdasoc said. – With Ralph Edwin Villanueva