CLARK FREEPORT – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Central Luzon has described as “prevalent” the recruitment of drug couriers in three areas in the region.
Because of this, the regional PDEA office is deploying its agents to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here “to give sharper teeth” to its anti-drug courier campaign.
PDEA regional director Ronald Allan Ricardo declined to say how many of his agents are to be assigned to the airport, but said the number would be “enough to be of help to DMIA security force in ensuring that no drug courier or drug mule enters or exits the country via Clark.”
Ricardo cited reports that recruitment for drug couriers is prevalent in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Subic and that the recruiters mostly belong to West African drug syndicates operating in the country.
“One strategy of these recruiters to convert make recruits, specifically women, their intimate partners, who are later taught to recruit as much as 50 drug couriers per single recruiter,” he said.
Ricardo said the recruiters lure victims by offering them no less than $2,000 for every certain number of recruits. China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand are among the usual destinations of drug couriers, he added.
In China, Filipinos who were caught while apparently acting as drug mules are now facing the death penalty.
Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President Victor Jose Luciano said he fully supports the PDEA’s move to deploy agents to DMIA. CIAC is the government corporation that runs the international airport here.
“The country may be lacking in terms of detection devices, but with intensive manning and strict inspection procedure at our airports, the PDEA expects that a decrease and eventual elimination of drug couriers will be attained,” Ricardo said.
He also said the PDEA is also into massive information campaign in the region against drug mules, tying up with the Philippine Information Agency.
“The drug courier problem emanates from an emerging trend in transporting illegal drugs using Filipinos, and this poses a major concern for our government,” he lamented.
Because of this, the regional PDEA office is deploying its agents to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here “to give sharper teeth” to its anti-drug courier campaign.
PDEA regional director Ronald Allan Ricardo declined to say how many of his agents are to be assigned to the airport, but said the number would be “enough to be of help to DMIA security force in ensuring that no drug courier or drug mule enters or exits the country via Clark.”
Ricardo cited reports that recruitment for drug couriers is prevalent in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Subic and that the recruiters mostly belong to West African drug syndicates operating in the country.
“One strategy of these recruiters to convert make recruits, specifically women, their intimate partners, who are later taught to recruit as much as 50 drug couriers per single recruiter,” he said.
Ricardo said the recruiters lure victims by offering them no less than $2,000 for every certain number of recruits. China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand are among the usual destinations of drug couriers, he added.
In China, Filipinos who were caught while apparently acting as drug mules are now facing the death penalty.
Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President Victor Jose Luciano said he fully supports the PDEA’s move to deploy agents to DMIA. CIAC is the government corporation that runs the international airport here.
“The country may be lacking in terms of detection devices, but with intensive manning and strict inspection procedure at our airports, the PDEA expects that a decrease and eventual elimination of drug couriers will be attained,” Ricardo said.
He also said the PDEA is also into massive information campaign in the region against drug mules, tying up with the Philippine Information Agency.
“The drug courier problem emanates from an emerging trend in transporting illegal drugs using Filipinos, and this poses a major concern for our government,” he lamented.
