PNP probes P3.54 billion shabu shipment from Laos, Thailand

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police is coordinating with foreign counterparts on reports that shipments of illegal drugs seized in Laos and Thailand were headed for the country, the PNP announced yesterday.

“We are verifying and we are already coordinating through the proper channels,” PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said in a news briefing yesterday.

Co said the PNP is looking into the alleged 521 kilos of shabu worth P3.54 billion seized by Laotian authorities from a private jet at Luang Prabang International Airport on Thursday.

A report over the South China Morning Post said the private jet departed from Subang airport in Malaysia without any cargo before heading to Laos. Thirteen people were detained in connection with the cargo.

Co said the PNP wants to get all the information about the illegal drugs, including the origin of the shipment, destination and flight plan. The PNP also wants to know if there were Filipinos among those arrested.

“The country still has no connection to the shipment. From Malaysia, it was seized in Laos but they (suspects) are pointing to the Philippines,” Co said.

Aside from this, the PNP is looking into another report that over a ton of shabu seized in Thailand was headed to the Philippines.

While they are glad the shipment was intercepted, Co stressed that it remains unconfirmed if the drugs were indeed headed for the country.

“It’s so very easy to point fingers, but we have to look into what was written in the manifest,” Co said.