Ilocos Norte cops foil marijuana smuggling try
ILOCOS Norte policemen are investigating an attempt to send dried marijuana leaves and kush in Laoag City through parcel service, Police Regional Office 1 director Brig. Gen. Lou F. Evangelista said yesterday.
The official said the attempt was discovered through the help of an alert delivery rider in San Matias, Laoag City last Maundy Thursday.
It turned out that the rider discovered the drugs while sorting out parcels he was to deliver from a logistics facility warehouse in the city days before last Thursday.
The man said the parcel, which reportedly contains adhesive remover, was addressed to a Laoag City resident by the seller who was identified only as alias “Pancho.”
When the rider contacted the supposed recipient through the given number, the man denied having ordered an item and also added that he is from Batangas City and not from Laoag City.
The rider explained to the man that the parcel had been fully paid by the sender. However, the supposed receiver said he is not interested in claiming the parcel since he doesn’t know the sender.
After the conversation, the delivery rider kept the parcel for himself as told by the man from Batangas City and placed it in the compartment of his motorcycle. He also declared that the parcel has been successfully delivered.
But last March 28, the rider out of curiosity opened the parcel and was surprised to discover that it does not contain an adhesive as declared on the shipping details. Inside was a plastic wrapper containing dried marijuana leaves and kush weighing around 30.5 grams.
The rider immediately informed the local police of his findings. Members of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office Drug Enforcement Unit led by Lt. Col. Jonathan Papay took custody of the drugs valued at P3,300, said Evangelista.
The PRO1 director thanked the delivery rider for doing a noble deed in immediately reporting his find to the local police.
The man, who was descried as a member of SANGGIR which is short for Strong Alert Noble Goal Oriented Group of Ilocos Region, was lauded for doing his part in the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the Ilocos-Pangasinan Police Regional Office.
