DFA identifying 20 Filipinos arrested in Spain drug raids

DFA spokesman Charles Jose. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is working to get the identities of the 20 Filipinos arrested in Spain for their alleged involvement in drug trafficking, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

“[Our] Embassy [in Madrid’s] main priority is to establish the identities of the Filipinos and their immigration or labor status, and to find out their current location and condition,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a text message to reporters.

“Based on these information, we can determine the appropriate assistance we will extend to them,” he said.

Spanish police reportedly arrested 42 people in drug raids across the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and Murcia and seized eight kilos or 17.6 pounds of crystal meth, also known as “ice” or “shabu.”

The arrested suspects were said to be members of two drug trafficking rings, one of which was fronting as a car import-export business.

The nationalities of the other arrested suspects were Spanish (19) and one each from the African countries of Mali, Senegal, and Togo.

“Our Embassy in Madrid is coordinating with the Spanish authorities to verify reports that 20 Filipinos were among those arrested for involvement with drug trafficking rings in Spain,” Jose said.

“We renew our call on our countrymen to avoid involvement with drug syndicates. Drug trafficking is universally recognized as a serious criminal act, which has adverse effects not only on individual lives but also on society at large,” he said.

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