Illegally recruited OFWs used as drug couriers

Overseas Filipino Workers who have been trying to get an honest job in another country but recruited illegally, are being used as “mules” or drug couriers by syndicate members who entice them by offering them money, free plane tickets, vacation and free accommodations.

This was revealed by Ilocos Norte Rep. Roque Ablan, chairman of the Committee on Drugs in Congress, during a press conference held at the headquarters of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila, after authorities uncovered an international drug ring with base of operations in Malaysia using innocent OFWs as “mules” of heroin, cocaine and other illegal drugs sent to Europe and Asian countries such as China.

Cherriejoy Red Gariguez, 18, resident of Atimonan, Quezon Province, had related to authorities during a press conference held at the NBI that she was first befriended by Nigerian national Sennanyana Topo Tswelelo, when she arrived in Malaysia on May 9. Gariguez had become an “asset of the NBI” and has not become a “mule” of the syndicate.

Gariguez was recruited by an alleged illegal recruiter who deployed her in Malaysia, but offered no job.

The Nigerian then courted her, offering her money, and eventually let her stay in his home somewhere in Malaysia. There, she found out that her boyfriend was involved in a drug syndicate called the West Africans International Drug Syndicate.

The group recruits OFWs in Malaysia, offering them money, plane tickets and accommodations in different countries, primarily in China and European countries, to become mules of drug couriers.

On Sept. 12, NBI agents had rescued Gariguez in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after she voluntarily offered to give information on the drug syndicate’s illegal activities.

During a press conference, NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs requested the NBI to conduct an in-depth investigation on the alarming increase of Filipino nationals who were arrested in Malaysia for drug trafficking.

The NBI Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force headed by lawyer Ruel Lasala, conducted an investigation on Filipino repatriates. A coordination was also made with the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP).

Round-the-clock surveillance and monitoring were jointly conducted by the NBI-AIDTF and the RMP. After the surveillance, authorities rescued Gariguez.

The RMP then conducted an operation against the drug syndicate resulting to the arrest of nine Nigerians, seven Filipinos and a Sri Lankan, all of whom are detained by the RMP in Malaysia. Seized from them were a total of 140 grams of cocaine, 640 grams of heroin, and 992 grams of compressed heroin with an overall estimated value of $120,000.

Gariguez was brought back to the Philippines recently, escorted by NBI agents. She is under the custody of the NBI-AIDTF.

Mantaring said the anti-drug operation was due to the International Cooperation between the Philippines, Malaysia and China.

Aside from Tswelelo, the eight other Nigerians arrested in Malaysia were identified as Oleseng Aaron Thliso, Osborn Musebula, Mosuping Boago Vincent, Kenneth Nwanodi, Paulo Liounisio Mendes, Fidelis Obinna Chukwudi, Allan Vallen Emeka, and Kennedy Ouma Onyango. All of the suspects were carrying passports with aliases used. Some of them were using fake passports of other countries and not of Nigeria.

The names of the Filipino females arrested by Malaysian authorities were withheld by the NBI. They are still trying to check what their involvement is with the syndicate, and are looking on ways to repatriate them back to the Philippines.

Gariguez related to the authorities that she has seen many times how the drug syndicate have ordered the Filipino females to hide the drugs placed inside condoms. After placing the drugs inside the condoms, the Filipinas would then insert them inside their sexual organs, inside the holes of the anuses or even swallow these, so these would not be detected by authorities in the airports. They would then bring these in other countries, including China where they would meet other contacts.

Gariguez said they would be paid about $1,500 to $3,000 per kilo of drugs transported, aside from the free tickets and accommodations.

Recently also, authorities in Guangdong, China have arrested 69 Filipinos on drug charges. Some 65 are females, while the four others are males. Males would usually insert the drugs placed in condoms, placed inside the holes of their anuses.

The Filipinos arrested, Gariguez said, had come to Malaysia or China because of financial problems and were looking for decent jobs. They only became involved in the drug syndicate after they were offered money.

On the other hand, Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Dionisio Santiago, who also attended the press conference at the NBI, said the way drug couriers hide the illegal drugs is the same way how drug syndicates in the Philippines hide these when they distribute these inside jails in Muntinlupa. The authorities also warned that the couriers may also die of poisoning or drug overdose if the condoms rip while these are inside their bodies.

Additionally, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, said the arrest of the Filipino drug mules in Malaysia and earlier in China should serve as stern warning to overseas Filipino workers of possible repercussions should they join drug syndicates for easy money.

“The government is standing by its policy that no help will be given to any Filipinos arrested abroad for involvement in illegal drugs,” Sotto said in a statement. “So the best thing to do for our OFWs is just be very careful and never fall to the lure of foreign syndicates,” he appealed. – With Edu Punay, Pia Lee-Brago