Nine Pinays detained in China for drug trafficking

The Philippine embassy in Beijing warned on Wednesday against drug syndicates using Filipino women as drug couriers to smuggle illegal drugs to China in exchange for huge amount of money.Ambassador Sonia Brady issued the warning following the arrest of nine Filipino women in a span of three weeks between Dec. 24, 2007 and Jan. 25, 2008 in Guangdong province and in the capital of Beijing for suspected drug smuggling.The incident brought to 22 the number of Filipino woman detained on investigated in China for alleged drug smuggling since February 2007.Brady said the arrests were “nothing less than alarming."“The embassy earnestly hopes our kababayans would heed the Philippine government’s warnings and not allow themselves to be used as ‘drug couriers’ by unscrupulous ‘friends’ working for syndicates involved in drug trafficking into China, “ she said.Those arrested claimed they were befriended by people they met in transit points or another country like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Vientiane, Macau and Katmandu) and requested to carry “parcels" to China.The women were provided air tickets to China in return for payment upon delivery of the parcel to a contact there. Upon arrival in areas identified as ‘gateways’ to drug trafficking activities in China, the women were apprehended, Brady said.The people befriending the “drug couriers" were said to be members of drug syndicates with able network operations in various parts of Asia. Brady reminded Filipinos that Chinese laws penalize trafficking of 50 grams or more of highly dangerous drug, including heroin, with a prison sentence ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment or death.“China strictly imposes tough penalties against persons caught in possession of prohibited or dangerous drugs. They face maximum sentences ranging from life imprisonment to death." the ambassador stressed.Among those recently arrested was a Filipina from Northern Luzon who was apprehended upon arrival in China from Kuala Lumpur on Christmas eve with 800 grams of heroin in 78 capsules found in her possession.She informed the embassy that she was offered US$5,000 by an African friend of her Nigerian boyfriend to transport 1,000 grams of heroin to Guangzhou through Beijing.She was initially given US$700 as travel allowance, and with the balance to be paid upon delivery of the drugs to an unidentified person in Guangzhou. Before boarding the plane in Kuala Lumpur, she swallowed the 800 grams of heroin in 78 capsules. She was about to purchase her onward plane ticket to Guangzhou when Beijing airport authorities apprehended her. She vehemently denied the accusations. However, after a body search that yielded some capsules, she admitted to carrying more drugs in her person.“I urge Filipinos to resist any offer of money from these syndicates for carrying parcels with prohibited drugs to China," Brady said.“We will work closely with our regional partners pursuant to bilateral and multilateral mechanisms which address this growing problem as these drug syndicates apparently have a wide network operating in various parts of Asia," she said.

Reference: www.inq7.net