2 Thai women arrested by PDEA for alleged smuggling of ‘shabu’

MANILA, Philippines—Two Thai women were arrested in separate incidents over the weekend for attempting to smuggle shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride into the country at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Tuesday.

PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac Jr. identified the arrested women as Napaporn Khamsa, 40, who arrived from Dubai, United Arab Emirates Saturday, and Raphirat Sukkasem, 30, who also came from Dubai but arrived on Sunday.

Almost three kilograms of shabu had been confiscated from each woman by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG). Cacdac said that the shabu were intentionally concealed in hidden compartments in their bag to avoid detection.

The PDEA is looking at the possibility that there is a connection between the two women because they both came from the same location and had rode on the same airline and flight number: Emirates Airlines flight EK 332.

Cacdac also said that the weight of the illegal drugs and the method they had been concealed were similar.

These “drug couriers” are likely working for big-time drug syndicates who offer $1,000 – $2,000 in exchange for smuggling drugs, Cacdac said.

“The successful arrest of the two drug couriers and the seizure of illegal drugs they were carrying made by the elements of the NAIA-IADITG, was due to the intelligence reports of our foreign counterparts and spearheaded by airport interdiction unit of PDEA Regional Office- National Capital Region (PDEA RO-NCR),” Cacdac said.

“We are continuously intensifying our interdiction operations and strengthening our advocacy campaigns, to finally curb drug smuggling in the country,” he added.

Both women will face charges for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Cacdac said.