Gov’t thanks US for tip that led to arrest of 3 alleged drug mules

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez (lNQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III on Monday expressed the government’s gratitude to US antidrug authorities for their assistance that led to the arrest of two Chinese and one Russian men who allegedly tried to smuggle illegal drugs into the country last week.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Finance said Dominguez thanked the US Drug Enforcement Administration, which relayed to a district collector at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Oct. 5 that there were passengers onboard Emirates flight EK-332 who were carrying prohibited drugs.

Dominguez also lauded Customs Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Naia unit for foiling the attempt to bring in a total of 27.9 kilos of high-grade cocaine worth P130 million.

The BOC-Naia interagency drug interdiction task group together with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested Chan Kawai and Pau Homanevan, both Chinese, and Kirdyushkin Yury, a Russian.

“If agencies work together like the BOC and PDEA are doing in fighting the war on drugs, the Duterte administration would be able to succeed soon enough in fully restoring the people’s trust in and respect for their government and its institutions,” Dominguez said.

Law-abiding society

“Once again, I would like to commend the BOC under Commissioner Faeldon for helping government in its relentless campaign against illegal drugs, which is but part of a larger effort to uphold the rule of law and transform our country into a law-abiding society,” he added.

In a report to Dominguez, BOC-Naia district collector Edgar Macabeo said the three suspects would be slapped with drug smuggling charges.