Executed drug mule's alleged recruiter charged

MANILA, Philippines - Authorities have located and filed charges against the alleged recruiter of the most recent Filipino drug mule executed in China, the head of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said.

In a recent interview, Director General Jose Gutierrez Jr. said they were just waiting for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the alleged recruiter.

According to Gutierrez, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed illegal recruitment charges against the suspect.

“We already know the location of the alleged recruiter of the executed drug mule,” Gutierrez told reporters, but refused to name the recruiter.

He said PDEA furnished the NBI with the information on the recruiter.

The 35-year-old Filipino was arrested on Sept. 13, 2008 at the Guilin International Airport. He was sentenced to death for drug trafficking and was given a lethal injection in the southern province of Guangxi in December last year.

He was the fourth Filipino executed in China for drug trafficking, following Ramon Credo, Elizabeth Batain and Sally Ordinario, who were also given lethal injections last year.