Operatives conduct an inventory of the seized ecstasy at the Port of Clark. Photo by BERNARD GALANG
PDEA intercepts P7.6-M smuggled ecstasy at Clark Port
By Alfred Dalizon and Bernard Galang
AN estimated P7.6 million worth of the designer drug called “Ecstasy” smuggled into the country from Belgium was seized by anti-narcotics officers at the Port of Clark on Wednesday noon, a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency report said yesterday.
According to the PDEA headed by Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo, a total of 4,491 pieces of the prohibited party drug were recovered during an interdiction operation at the Port of Clark by members of the Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Drug Group.
The major drug seizure was made amid an intelligence report forwarded to the PDEA International Cooperation and Foreign Affairs Service regarding a certain drug-laden parcel from Belgium which was shipped to the Port of Clark last March 29.
The information was relayed by the PDEA national headquarters to the PDEA Regional Office 3, which led to the successful interdiction operation.
In the presence of PDEA Clark personnel and other witnesses, the Bureau of Customs examined the package, which turned out to be containing the designer drugs.
The recovered pieces of drug evidence were turned over to the PDEA Region 3 laboratory for further examination.
An investigation is underway to identify the persons behind the foiled drug smuggling attempt.
Members of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Unit 3, the PNP Drug Enforcement Group and the National Bureau of Investigation Pampanga District Office also participated in the successful anti-narcotics operation, the PDEA said.
