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SUBIC BAY Freeport: Members of the United States Drug
Enforcement Administration (Usdea) visited this Freeport assisted by
the Presidential Anti Smuggling Group-Task Force Subic to document
the ongoing investigation on the estimated 744 kilos of high-grade
shabu seized recently.
Timothy Teal, country attaché of
the Usdea said they opted to visit Subic to see how the
investigation was going on but clarified that they were mere
observers.
The team composed of three others
first inspected the headquarters of PASG-TFS where the contrabands
were being kept.
He added that besides the
container van ‘with its door pinned on the wall’ were the
contrabands were being kept armed operatives were also teal said
that security personnel from PASG were also visible.
“In our case we only have an
alarm system and hope that no one breaks in.” Teal said.
Teal and his team also requested
samples of the illegal drug to be sent to their laboratories for
studies.
“We will send the sample to our
lab so we can determine if the drugs came from China, Vietnam or any
other country and compare it to other confiscated drugs,” Teal
said.
Atty. Edmundo Arugay, deputy
director of PASG-TFS escorted the Usdea team to the site where the
two abandoned vessels were located, as well as the warehouse of
Anthony Ang at the Subic Bay Industrial Park.
“The Usdea is also willing to
train PASG to further enhance its capability in checking drugs,
evidence handling and others,” Arugay said.
The Usdea also congratulated PASG
for their catch and said that they are willing to help PASG and SBMA
in the investigation.
“We are willing to help PASG in
the investigation if they ask for it,” Teal said.
Undersecretary Antonio Villar,
head of the Presidential Anti Smuggling Group, meanwhile in a
telephone interview with The Times recognize the efforts of SBMA
headed by Chairman Feliciano Salonga and Administrator Armand Arreza
together with operatives of PASG Task Force Subic in coordinating
with his office and congratulated SBMA’s Law Enforcement
Department for foiling the attempt of Ang to smuggle out the illegal
drugs estimated at P15 billion in street value.
--Anthony Bayarong
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