30 January 2008—The Philippine Embassy in Beijing warns of drug syndicates with able network operations in various parts of Asia as increasingly using Filipinas as “drug couriers” to smuggle dangerous and prohibited drugs to China in exchange for money.

Nine Filipinas were arrested in a span of three weeks, from 24 December 2007 to 15 January 2008, in Guangdong province and Beijing, for suspected drug smuggling.

“The arrest of nine Filipinos in Guangdong province and Beijing in a span of three weeks is nothing less than alarming,” Philippine Ambassador Sonia Brady stressed. “The Embassy earnestly hopes our kababayans would heed the Philippine Government’s warnings and not allow themselves to be used as “drug couriers” by unscrupulous “friends” working for syndicates involved in drug traffaicking into China, “ she further stated.

The recent arrests brought to twenty two the number of Filipinas who have been detained or investigated in China for alleged drug smuggling for the period February 2007 to January 2008.

All claimed that they were requested to carry the “parcels” by friends they met in transit points or another country (Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Vientiane, Macau, and Katmandu) who gave them tickets to travel to China in return for payment upon delivery of the parcel to a contact in China. Eventually, they were arrested in different areas in China, identified as “gateways” to drug trafficking activities.

Chinese laws penalize drug trafficking of 50 grams or more of highly dangerous drug, including heroin, with a  prison sentence ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment or death.

“China strictly imposes tough penalties against persons caught in possession of prohibited or dangerous drugs. They face maximum sentences ranging from life imprisonment to death.” Ambassador Brady stressed.

Among those recently arrested was a Filipina from Northern Luzon who was apprehended upon arrival in China from Kuala Lumpur on 24 December 2007 with 800 grams of heroin in 78 capsules found in her person.

She informed the Embassy that she was offered US$5,000 by an African friend of her Nigerian boyfriend to transport 1,000 grams of heroin to Guangzhou through Beijing. Initially, she was given US$700 as travel allowance, and with the balance to be paid upon turnover of the drugs to an unidentified person in Guangzhou. Before boarding the plane in Kuala Lumpur, she swallowed the 800 grams of heroin in 78 capsules.

She was about to purchase her onward plane ticket to Guangzhou when Beijing airport authorities apprehended her. She vehemently denied the accusations. However, after a body search that yielded some capsules, she admitted to carrying more drugs in her person.