By Raymund Antonio
Ever since Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña assumed office in August 2017, his agency has seized illegal drugs worth around P3 billion.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The BOC announced in a statement what it called the “significant contributions” of the revenue-generating agency to President Duterte’s war on drugs.
"In a span of 13 months since my assumption, the Bureau of Customs has apprehended more than P3 billion worth of illegal drugs,” the BOC chief said.
According to Lapeña, the BOC has already turned over the seized illegal drugs to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for proper disposition as mandated by law.
"The drugs that we have intercepted and turned over to the PDEA is a testament to what our men have been doing to combat the entry of illegal drugs," Lapena said, amid reports that the cost of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu decreased in Metro Manila as a ton of the illegal drugs slipped into the country through the four magnetic lifters.
PDEA found the empty magnetic lifters last August in a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.
These were supposed to contain 1,000 kilos of shabu with an estimated value of P6.8 billion.
The supposed illegal drugs came from Taiwan and arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) under the consignee SMYD Trading, and customs broker Katrina Grace Cuasay.
In a recent press briefing, the Customs commissioner disputed reports shabu prices have gone down due to large volume of smuggled shipments.
The decreasing price of shabu in the streets, Lapena pointed out, is due to low demand.
The BOC chief contradicted the claim of PDEA director general Aaron Aquino that the drug supply came from the magnetic lifters in Cavite.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The BOC announced in a statement what it called the “significant contributions” of the revenue-generating agency to President Duterte’s war on drugs.
"In a span of 13 months since my assumption, the Bureau of Customs has apprehended more than P3 billion worth of illegal drugs,” the BOC chief said.
According to Lapeña, the BOC has already turned over the seized illegal drugs to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for proper disposition as mandated by law.
"The drugs that we have intercepted and turned over to the PDEA is a testament to what our men have been doing to combat the entry of illegal drugs," Lapena said, amid reports that the cost of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu decreased in Metro Manila as a ton of the illegal drugs slipped into the country through the four magnetic lifters.
PDEA found the empty magnetic lifters last August in a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.
These were supposed to contain 1,000 kilos of shabu with an estimated value of P6.8 billion.
The supposed illegal drugs came from Taiwan and arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) under the consignee SMYD Trading, and customs broker Katrina Grace Cuasay.
In a recent press briefing, the Customs commissioner disputed reports shabu prices have gone down due to large volume of smuggled shipments.
The decreasing price of shabu in the streets, Lapena pointed out, is due to low demand.
The BOC chief contradicted the claim of PDEA director general Aaron Aquino that the drug supply came from the magnetic lifters in Cavite.