NARC AGENTS SEIZE P2.5-M SHABU

An estimated P2.5 million worth of the drug shabu was seized by
narcotics agents from a couple in Pasay City last Thursday.

PNP chief Director General Edgar Aglipay, concurrent head of the
Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) presented
the suspects Cairoden Nanak, 34, and his wife Monina, 31, to mediamen
on Saturday at the task force headquarters in Camp Crame.

The couple, residents of Manisan Street, in Quiapo, Manila, were
arrested during a buy-bust operation led by Supt. Eduardo Acierto at
the parking lot of Copacobana Apartelle on edsa in Pasay City around
10 p.m. last Thursday.

Seized from them were a kilo of suspected shabu, a .45-caliber pistol
with 12 rounds of ammunition and identification cards.

"The suspects' arrest would serve as another warning to drug pushers
that authorities would pursue them and place them behind bars,"
Aglipay said during the news conference in Camp Crame.

The couple are now detained in Camp Crame.

Meanwhile, a trader at the Bureau of Customs was tagged as allegedly
being behind the smuggling of illegal drugs, particularly the popular
"Ecstasy," in the country.

Highly-placed sources at the bureau told Today that the "importation"
of the popular Ecstasy drugs, which is currently the main illegal
substance being used by high profile celebrities and in the high
ladder of society, is being transacted at the Manila International
Container Port (MICP).

It said that the "importation" is being made almost five times in a
month's time.

The same source said the suspect is an importer and broker doing
business at the bureau, is behind the smuggling of the illegal drugs.

The modus operandi of the trader is reportedly mixing the illegal
Ecstasy drugs in his other legal shipments that passed through the
so-called "green lane" at the MICP, meaning it passed the
"unsuspecting" monitoring of bureau examiners.

The businessman is reportedly being protected by some corrupt Customs
officials at the MICP, who receives substantial amounts of protection
money.

The trader is allegedly so well-liked at the bureau that he has become
"untouchable" even as his smuggling activities are being made boldly
in the open.

"His importation of Ecstasy has been going on for the past months but
it goes into the open market without being 'detected' by Customs
officials and other law-enforcement agencies," the source, who
requested anonymity said.

Concerned officials at the bureau noted that newly appointed Customs
Commissioner George Jereos should make the necessary and deep
investigation on the "workings" of the trader in the bureau and
identify who are his protectors.