The Embassy gives this warning especially to those approached by complete strangers or new acquaintances offering money in exchange for transporting certain packages on their behalf.
This is in the light of the significant increase of Filipinos nationals arrested for the possession of illegal substance/s upon entering Thailand at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport and at the country's borders with Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
In Thailand, death penalty is meted to persons carrying Category I narcotics (heroin) "for the purpose of disposal".
The most recent arrests made by Thai immigration and police authorities at the Suvarnabhumi Airport involved three Filipinas for the possession of between two to five kilograms of cocaine on three separate occasions on March 22, April 13 and May 4. Two came from Peru, while one arrived from Brazil.
At the Thai-Myanmar border, two Filipinos were recently arrested on May 3 for possession of over five kilograms of methamphetamine. In June last year, a Filipina was arrested for possession of 13 kilograms of marijuana at the Thai-Laos border. The Filipina was told that she was just carrying slimming tea.
A West African drug gang is believed to be behind a large-scale operation where Filipino nationals are allegedly "hired" as drug mules.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is working with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and other agencies in a concerted effort to combat the victimization of Filipinos by international drug syndicates.
Recently, the PDEA initiated and executed a successful operation which resulted in the neutralization of an international drug trafficking organization operating in the Philippines and in neighboring Asian countries. Working with foreign law and drug enforcement authorities, the the PDEA-led operation led to the arrest of nine male Nigerians, one female Thai, one female Malaysian and two Filipinas, as well as the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of heroin in China.
It was upon the recommendation of the DFA that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Administrative Order (AO) No. 279 on February 28, creating the Drug Couriers Task Force (TFDC) which is now tasked to prevent Filipinos being used as drug couriers by international drug trafficking syndicates.
The Task Force is composed of the PDEA as chair; the DFA as co-chair; and the Department of Labor and Employment, the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Customs, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine Information Agency, the Manila International Airport Authority, and the Philippine Tourism Authority, are now developing and executing programs and strategies against the recruitment of Filipinos as international drug couriers by international drug trafficking syndicates that victimize overseas Filipinos, and promoting close coordination among government agencies towards a more aggressive apprehension and prosecution of members of drug trafficking syndicates operating in the Philippines.
The TFDC is also closely coordinating with counterpart agencies of other countries for the formulation and execution of bilateral or regional actions against the recruitment of Filipinos as drug couriers. END