DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                        2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                     Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-616-06                                                                                                                                                                                                                             20 July 2006

DFA RENEWS WARNING AGAINST DRUG-TRAFFICKING SCHEME  

20 July 2006— The Department of Foreign Affairs renews the warning to all Filipinos against the drug-trafficking scheme victimizing OFWs after receiving reports from the Philippine Consulate General in Milan that another Filipina was sentenced by the Busto Arsizio Court in Italy, to a prison term of four (4) years for trying to smuggle in 2.343 kilograms of prohibited drugs at Milan's Malpensa Airport on 03 February 2006. 

The Department will not disclose the name of the Filipina to respect her right to privacy. 

Consul General Pedro Chan said the Filipina flew to Bombay, India in December 2005 on a business trip for her company in Vietnam. While in India, she received a call from a Filipina acquaintance in Vietnam, who convinced her to proceed to Sao Paolo, Brazil to pick up some merchandise.  Her contact in Brazil was a Nigerian, who paid for her hotel accommodations while she was in Brazil.  

Consul General Chan recounted the statement of the Filipina that she was ready to return to Bombay, India, via Milan, when she requested a Brazilian lady friend to buy her a suitcase because the items she bought could not fit into her luggage. She was given a new luggage, still wrapped in a plastic material.  It turned out that about a kilo of drugs was hidden at the bottom of the luggage. She was apprehended while in transit at Milan airport. 

The Consul General informed the Department that normally this offense carries a penalty of a 5-year jail term but the court fixed a prison term of 4 years. 

The Department warns that this drug-trafficking scheme has become common occurrence abroad, usually involving Filipinas who knowingly or unknowingly, act as drug-courier.  In most cases, the "handler" oftentimes befriends or becomes romantically-involved with an unsuspecting Filipina and subsequently finances a drug-trafficking operation, wherein the Filipina ends up in jail while the “handler” remains unidentified and goes away scot-free to victimize another unsuspecting and vulnerable Filipina.  

The Department has already issued several warnings prior to the incident.  It continues to appeal to Filipinos to be aware of the inherent evil of the drug trade and refrain from passive or active involvement in this scheme as there is a great risk of being caught and sentenced to jail terms and even death. (Please refer to press releases SFA-AGR-528-05 dated 28 July 2005  and SFA-AGR-542-05 dated 4 August 2005, for the background information.) END

/jay

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