PDEA seizes P1.5M shabu concealed in rice cooker

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) busted an attempt to ship illegal drug after it intercepted Wednesday a P1.5-million worth of shabu concealed in a rice cooker package through a courier company,  and arrested a suspect.

PDEA regional director Jeffrey Alama Bangsa identified the suspect as Ali Sahisnain Alimuddin alias Danhil Asi Amadin, 34, a resident of Barangay Mampang in this city,  was arrested after claiming the package from the courier service company at  Veterans Avenue here.

Alimuddin claimed his neighbor asked him to pick up the package in exchange of P5,000 as payment for doing so.

Bangsa said the package, a carton box, came from Manila was subjected to an inspection by a  K9 sniffing dog that detected the  presence of the illegal substance.

The arresting team immediately inspected the box that contained an electric rice cooker and several plastic sachets that were packed inside the casing of the cooking appliance.

Bangsa said the shabu weighed at least 500 grams with a market value of P1.5 million.

According to Bangsa, they came to know of the shipment of illegal drugs on June 16 following information from PDEA national office in Manila.

The PDEA regional office then set up the entrapment to arrest the consignee that turned out to be Alimuddin using the alias of Danhil Asi Amadin based on the postal ID recovered from the suspect.

The PDEA official disclosed that it was the third time that the suspect sought to slip illegal drugs into the city.

“It appeared that this is just one group because last time they used electric flat iron while the other syndicate group was consistent in using sandals,” Bangsa said.

He said the intercepted drug 8th biggest haul so far since  December when a syndicate concealed their shipment of drugs in milk and coffee boxes along with other food items through a courier company.

“This poses a challenge on us in continuing to outmaneuver this syndicate,” Bangsa added.

Bangsa said charges of violation of RA 9165 otherwise known as Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002 will be filed against the suspect who was temporarily detained at the PDEA detention cell.