Drug mules
Drug couriers fall under the jurisdiction and, consequently the laws, of the country where they were arrested.
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Daily TribuneDrug couriers fall under the jurisdiction and, consequently the laws, of the country where they were arrested.
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The arrest this week of two foreign females — a South African and a Norwegian — for attempting to smuggle millions of pesos worth of shabu into the country tells us that there's a supply-side gap for narcotics that international drug syndicates are trying to bridge or fill in.
A troubling conclusion is that the Philippines remains an important market for narco-traffickers that they are sending their drug mules like foot soldiers to test our defenses. The use of drug couriers is nothing new, but it is riskier now because of technologies that allow customs personnel to check baggage and cargo for drugs more easily.
In August, another South African, a male, was also busted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for bringing in shabu, the choice poison of local drug dependents, thus the intended ultimate end users of the drugs are apparently Filipinos. These operations are by no means transshipment activities as the volumes are too small, but not too small to be disregarded by drug exporters.
No doubt, victories are being scored by the government in the war against drugs, with the arrest of drug mules and the recent seizure of billions of pesos worth of shabu in an office in Metro Manila. A non-commissioned officer of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group was collared in a follow-up operation for allegedly dealing P2 million worth of shabu, part and parcel of the bigger stash at the office.
Likewise, two top PNP-PDEG officials, including at least one general, had been put under investigation, according to PNP chief P/Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., following allegations of possible involvement in the drug trade, specifically the recycling of seized drugs.
Ninja cops — those who sell back into the streets drugs that had been confiscated and should be kept as evidence — seem to be back on the prowl after being terrorized into hiding by the Duterte administration. They should be bundled out of the police organization ASAP as they would set the campaign against illegal drugs back to pre-Duterte levels when drug lords, even those already behind bars, continued managing their empires via remote control.
The problem of drug mules used to be one that concerned Filipinos being used to transport drugs across borders, leading the government, through the Department of Justice under then-Secretary Leila de Lima, to issue guidelines on how our countrymen can prevent being sucked into the scheme. Not lost on us is the irony is that De Lima is presently behind bars on drug-related charges.
Amid the resurgence in the use of drug couriers across nations, the DoJ advisory, created upon the request of the Department of Foreign Affairs, should be revisited as an information and awareness campaign on drug smuggling and the past and possibly future victimization of our countrymen as drug mules.
The DoJ guidelines sought to "explain to the public the issues surrounding the recruitment, arrest, detention and conviction in foreign countries of Filipinos who are caught transporting illegal drugs." The important points raised are as follows:
People carry at their own risk and that "knowledge is immaterial, and intent is not a requirement" to be prosecuted for drug trafficking in most countries. It pays to be vigilant against the modus operandi of drug courier syndicates, including the "paki-padala" or being asked by people to bring something in without checking what those items are.
"In the unfortunate event of arrest or detention for drug trafficking, have the presence of mind and do not resist arrest," the DoJ said, while asserting legal rights and asking for legal remedies through consular assistance.
While the presumption of innocence applies in many countries, it must be remembered that the arrested fall under the jurisdiction and, consequently the laws, of the country where they were arrested.
From the above, it's clear that not knowing that you're carrying illegal drugs or other contraband is not a valid legal defense, neither the lack of intent to commit the crime of transporting banned substances.
In all this, personal vigilance on the part of Filipinos who travel overseas is a must, including by refusing to carry packages or luggage even from friends.
