De Lima linked ‘Ike’ to West African Syndicate

Indonesian prison officials watch Filipina drug convict and death row prisoner Mary Jane Veloso (L), clad in traditional Indonesian attire, performing during a programme celebrating Kartini Day in honour of Indonesian national hero and women’s rights activist Raden Kartini at Yogyakarta prison on April 21, 2015. AFP PHOTO / TARKO SUDIARNO

JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima linked “Ike,” the man of African descent who gave Mary Jane Veloso the luggage containing 2.6 kilos of heroin to the West African Syndicate.

De Lima told reporters that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) already has an artist sketch of “Ike.”

READ: Timeline: The case of Mary Jane Veloso

“The NBI has a database about this guy Ike as it turns out they have his cartographic sketch and nasa data base ng NBI na link to the West African Syndicate,” de Lima told reporters Monday.

“What we want to know now is if the ‘Ike’ at the NBI’s database is the same Ike who met Mary Jane and gave her the luggage in Malaysia,” she said.

De Lima said she will meet with officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to verify if the same man is on its radar.

Based on Veloso’s affidavit, she was accompanied by Maria Kristina Sergio to Malaysia where they met Ike. According to Veloso, Sergio told her to go to Indonesia and meet a certain person. Sergio then bought her clothes, which she would carry in her trip, while “Ike” provided the luggage.

READ: Veloso’s recruiter travels twice monthly

Veloso said she asked why the luggage though empty felt heavy. Sergio replied it was heavy because it’s new. AC

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