Vice President and presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Manuel “Noli” De Castro Saturday called on all Filipinos traveling overseas not to allow themselves to be used as drug couriers by crime syndicates.

This came after a couple sought the Vice President’s assistance regarding the case of their son in Shanghai, China who was recently convicted of transporting drugs and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The couple, whose identities were not revealed, told De Castro during the latter’s Saturday radio program that their son, who was an engineering graduate, was recruited by a friend to work as an interpreter in China.

However, before their son left for China, he was asked to carry a certain parcel for someone.

De Castro expressed his alarm at the news and appealed to the public to warn relatives and friends not to accept any parcel or bag from people they do not know in exchange for money.

“Think twice before you allow yourself to be used as drug couriers as you become an instrument to destroying lives of others. At the same time, you expose yourself to certain criminal prosecution,” De Castro said.

In China, drug trafficking of 50 grams or more of highly dangerous drug like heroin maybe punishable by death. Chinese local courts have sentenced five Chinese nationals guilty of drug trafficking who will be executed Monday.

De Castro also cited the report of the Philippine Ambassador to Beijing Sonia Brady that as of June 7, 159 Filipinos ,“almost all of whom women,” were arrested for drug trafficking in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, an almost 1,000 percent increase compared to the 16 Filipinos arrested in 2007.