Drug syndicates mail shipments to fake names
International drug smugglers are now using fake names as consignees for drug shipments sent into the country in order not to be traced, the Bureau of Customs bared Friday.
This scheme of a local drug syndicate who has direct connections with a drug cartel in the United States was uncovered after a series of operations jointly carried out by the Customs bureau and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
On Friday, a total of 17.7 kilos of shabu with a street value of P120 million were discovered from four parcels declared as chairs and bar stools at the Port of Clark.
This is the second discovery of a multi-million shabu shipment in Clark coming from the United States.
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said four controlled deliveries were conducted, however, only one was successful.
A woman identified as Evelyn Lunzaga was arrested in a controlled delivery in La Loma, Quezon City, Friday. Lunzaga allegedly received the parcel sent by Maria Nazareno.
Other consignees were identified as Christian Frias, Robert Nazareno, and Dominic Gallardo, all of Quezon City, and Gina Santiago, of Taguig.
The senders, on the other hand, were identified as Rania Frias, Vanessa Gallardo, and Rania Fernandez.
"There were four parcels. Isa lang ang naging successful, ‘yung iba walang nag-appear na magre-receive (Only one was successful, no one appeared to receive the other three deliveries)," Lapeña said.
The case of Lunzaga, according to PDEA Regional Director Gil Pabilona, reveals the scheme of drug smugglers wherein they use fake names of consignees and senders of the shabu parcels.
The syndicate operating in the Philippines, Pabilona added, supplies the Filipino names to be used as consignees.
The packages containing shabu will later be delivered to the consignee's address where a person will be asked by the syndicate to receive the parcel, the authorities said.
In this case, Lunzaga was the one asked to receive the parcel. "She is part of the cycle of the syndicate as a place where the shipment can be forwarded and given to the syndicate. That is the picture of her involvement," Pabilona explained.
From there, the shabu shipment will be moved to another location.
Drug smugglers, according to Lapena, have diverted their shipments to other ports and airports due to stricter security at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
According to Lapeña, the shipments arrived at the Port of Clark on June 5 from Los Angeles, California.