PDEA links massive Laos meth bust to Davao drug ring

Philippine drug enforcement officials said Monday that the arrest of a Filipino national carrying 521 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine aboard a chartered private jet in Laos is linked to a Davao-based drug syndicate operating under the Asia-wide Samgor crime triad.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Isagani Nerez identified the suspect arrested 1 October at Luang Prabang International Airport as Dibaroson Fahad, alias “Fahad,” a resident of Marawi City.

Flight records showed Fahad was the sole passenger aboard a Learjet 55B, chartered for $49,500 to fly from Subang, Malaysia, to Luang Prabang, Laos, with an intended final destination in the Philippines.

The drug shipment, valued at P3.54 billion, was discovered after a Malaysian pilot refused to board the flight due to suspicious baggage, prompting airline officials to cancel the flight and inspect the cargo.

Nerez revealed that intelligence units are tracking a primary handler identified as alias “Boyet,” who allegedly arranged the charter flight before leaving the Philippines for Hong Kong two days prior to the Laos bust.

PDEA investigators confirmed that both suspects are linked to the Samgor syndicate and maintain logistical connections and front businesses in Davao City used to launder funds and distribute narcotics.

Responding to recent public criticism from Vice President Sara Duterte regarding national drug enforcement, Nerez defended the administration’s supply-reduction strategy, citing that state agencies have seized P124.58 billion in illicit drugs — including 16 tons of crystal methamphetamine —since 2022, while achieving an 85 percent conviction rate in drug-related prosecutions.

Meantime, Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co cited that national law enforcement agencies are coordinating with international partners to block drug cartels from using the country as a regional transshipment point.

Co stressed that police units are reviewing airport and seaport security protocols alongside PDEA and foreign law enforcement counterparts to trace the origin of the shipment and determine whether formal criminal charges under Philippine jurisdiction are warranted against local conspirators.