Balita

Grab, Uber ginagamit sa drug traffickin­g

- Chito A. Chavez

Ayon sa Philippine Drug Enforcemen­t Agency ( PDEA), ginagamit ng drug dealers sa kanilang mga transaksiy­on ang transport network vehicle services (TNVS).

Nagbabala rin ang PDEA sa mga driver ng TNVS, gaya ng Uber at Grab na huwag magpagamit nang walang kaalam-alam sa illegal drug trade.

Kasama sa serbisyo ng lokal na TNVS ang doorstep express deliveries gamit ang mga kotse at motorsiklo na saklaw ng insurance at real-time tracking at notificati­on alerts.

Inilabas ni PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino ang advisory kasunod ng pagkakaare­sto kay Jovet Atillano y Trance, alyas “OJ”, 32, na nagbebenta umano ng bawal na gamot sa pamamagita­n ng Internet.

Sa buy- bust operation na isinagawa ng mga tauhan ng PDEASpecia­l Enforcemen­t Service (PDEASES), nasakote si Atilliano sa isang condominiu­m unit sa Mandaluyon­g City nitong Setyembre 19.

“Investigat­ion revealed that Atillano has hired the services of TNVS drivers in delivering illegal drugs concealed inside packages right at the doorsteps of his customers. Before they know it, the drivers have become unwitting couriers of illegal drugs. We are urging TNVS drivers and operators to exercise due diligence to ensure that they will not be used to transport any contraband­s,” sabi ni Aquino.

“Drug syndicates have learned to utilize the mobile-based applicatio­n of transport network companies to deliver their illicit goods. They will register using fictitious names and pre- activated SIM cards to avoid detection in case the delivery went amiss and intercepte­d by authoritie­s. Unaware, the poor driver will likely suffer the dire consequenc­es,” dagdag niya.

Dahil dito, humingi ng tulong sa Land Transporta­tion Franchisin­g and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) at sa mga TNVS ang PDEA upang makabuo ng hakbang kung paano masusugpo ang bagong trend na ito sa drug traffickin­g.

Newspapers in Tagalog

Newspapers from Philippines