2 Malaysians charged with drug trafficking

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Monday pressed drug charges against two Malaysians caught carrying six kilograms of “shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport over the weekend.

Charged with importation and transportation of illegal drugs were Tamil Selvi Veloo, female, 37, and Chandar Nadarajan, male, 31, who were brought for inquest proceedings to the Pasay City prosecutor’s office.

In a statement, PDEA Director General Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. said the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group  arrested Veloo and Nadarajan on June 16 after a customs examiner discovered plastic sachets of shabu in their luggage.

“Laboratory examination of the 16 transparent plastic sachets confiscated from the suspects came up positive on the presence of methamphetamine hydrochloride,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said that based on the passports of the suspects, Nadarajan had been in the Philippines twice before his arrest.

Records showed that he first came to the country on March 5, 2010 and departed on March 7, 2012. His second visit was on June 2, 2012; he departed the next day. On the other hand, Veloo’s passport indicated it was her first visit to the Philippines.

“The way the shabu was packaged was different from the others we have previously intercepted. During previous confiscation, shabu transported by drug couriers were packed in bigger parcels, roughly one kilo more or less per pack,” Gutierrez said.

“However, the shabu transported by the Malaysians were packed in sixteen small plastic sachets, each weighing from less than 100 grams to as much as 700 grams but not reaching one kilogram,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez cited the close coordination and collaboration among the members of the NAIA anti-drug task force, particularly the vigilance of the customs examiner and quick response of support units, in the successful interception of dangerous drugs at the airport.

Since January, 26 persons have been arrested at the NAIA for transporting shabu, and up to 61 kilos of the illegal drug has been recovered by the authorities.