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By William B. Depasupil Reporter
PROHIBITED chemicals, which if
processed could yield some P700 million worth of methamphetamine
hydrochloride, more popularly known as “shabu,” were intercepted
by the Bureau of Customs on Friday.
Ordered seized by Customs
Commissioner Napoleon Morales were eight drums and five cans of
toluene, and five cans of methyl ethyl ketone, all essential
ingredients in the manufacture of shabu.
The chemicals, Morales said, were
misdeclared as “raw materials for footware” but an x-ray
examination made on the container van holding the chemicals prompted
customs personnel to subject it to a 100-percent examination.
“The x-ray machine yielded some
suspicious images which prompted x-ray field officers to immediately
subject the container for stripping and 100-percent physical examination,”
Morales said.
Inspection revealed eight drums
and 14 cans of colorless liquids, eight cans of red powder, 10 boxes
of pornographic DVDs and two machines.
Chemists from the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed the eight drums and five cans
contained toluene, while the five other cans contained methyl ethyl
ketone. Four cans were positively identified as Xylene and eight
cans had red pigment used in the manufacture of lacquer.
“These two machines are used in
shabu laboratories. The importers were definitely planning to set up
a laboratory here,” PDEA Chief Dionisio Santiago said.
Optical Media Board Chairman Edu
Manzano said that the 5,000 pornographic DVDs included in the
shipment were “most likely reproduced by local pirates then will
be sold by retailers.”
The DVDs were misdeclared as
1,975 cartons of casing. But inspection showed the boxes contained
5,000 pornographic DVDs and 80,000 pieces of blank DVDs and CDs,
with an estimated commercial value of P8.5 million.
Morales said his bureau will not
slow down in its antismuggling drive. “[We are] always one step
ahead of unscrupulous importers and smugglers,” he said.
Last month, the bureau also
seized eight drums of toluene and acetone hidden between boxes of
assorted plastics.
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