11 TAGGED IN 521 KILOS OF PH-BOUND SHABU SEIZED IN LAOS

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Friday named 11 persons of interests behind the reported Philippine-bound 521-kilogram shabu shipment worth P3.5 billion seized in Laos.

“Nandito ako para ihayag ang findings ng joint task force ng PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) at ng PNP (Philippine National Police). Gusto kong pasalamatan ang PDEA sa kanilang walang sawang pakikisama sa amin,” Remulla said in a Palace press briefing.

“Iisa ang hanay namin na matigil ang drugs dito sa Pilipinas,” he added.

Remulla noted that the Joint Task Force of PDEA and the PNP identified the 11 persons of interest in connection with the confiscated 521 kilograms of suspected shabu from Laos.

He said had the illegal drugs successfully reached Manila, they would have been distributed in different areas across the country.

The DILG released a diagram showing the relationships and connections among the persons of interest, from the purchase of the private plane used, up to the attempted shipment of the contraband to the Philippines.

PNP chief Police Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., who also joined the briefing, said police already have custody of one person of interest, while the others are under continuous monitoring.

However, Nartatez noted that the 11 persons of interest currently have no pending cases or arrest warrants, so authorities cannot arrest them yet.