More than 2,000 ‘ecstasy’ tablets seized

CEBU, Philippines —  More than 2,000 party drug tablets more commonly known as "ecstasy" with an average market value of P5,072,800 million were confiscated by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) from a male suspect during an operation along F. Rallos Street, Barangay Pasil, Cebu City on Monday afternoon.

The suspect was identified as Lunel Paden, 30, jobless, from Sto. Niño Street, Barangay Suba, Cebu City.

The parcel was discovered last June 10, 2022 by the PDEA NAIA-AIDITG at Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) Domestic Road in Pasay City.

PDEA-7 Director Levi Ortiz said they received information that the party drugs had arrived from the Netherlands, and Paden had been identified as the receiver of the parcel.

PDEA operatives, in coordination with the Bureau of Customs, and Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) then conducted a controlled delivery which resulted in the arrest of the suspect and confiscation of suspected ecstasy tablets.

"According to him, gisugo ra kuno siya sa iyang amigo nga na detain sa presohan...so ang source kuno niya  iyang amigo sa presohan, pero wa pa ta kahibaw kung unsa ka tinood na so ato panang sutaon," Ortiz said.

"Mobalik naman og abli ang mga bars and mao manay kasagaran trend karon sa mga manggamitay (og ecstasy), and dili lang sa bars ha...mga yate (yacht), mga high-end subdivision, mga condominium, which daghang mga parties," Ortiz added.

Confiscated during the operation were one parcel declared as "Women clothes" shipped from Netherlands containing a dress, and transparent plastic pouch with brochure containing a bed sheet concealed in a cardboard box with five improvised pouches where the 2,984 pieces of ecstasy tablets were contained with a standard value of P1,700 each tablet.

The suspect will be facing violations of Section 4 of Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. — JMD (FREEMAN)