THE Philippine embassy in Beijing on
Wednesday reported the arrest of nine Filipinas by Chinese
authorities from Dec. 24, 2007 through Jan. 15, 2008 for
suspected drug smuggling.
It said Asia-wide drug syndicates are
apparently using Filipinas as drug couriers to sneak in
dangerous and prohibited drugs into China. "The arrest of nine
Filipinos in Guangdong province and Beijing in a span of three
weeks is nothing less than alarming," said Ambassador Sonia
Brady.
Brady advised Filipinos not to allow
themselves to be used as drug couriers by "unscrupulous friends"
who work for syndicates involved in drug trafficking in China.
She said the recent arrests brought to 22 the number of
Filipinas detained or investigated in China for alleged drug
smuggling since February 2007.
An embassy report said all those arrested
claimed they were merely requested to carry "parcels" by friends
they met in transit points or in another country who gave them
tickets to travel to China in return for payment upon delivery
of the parcel to a contact in China.
Most of the "parcels" came from Bangkok,
Kuala Lumpur, Vien-tiane, Macau, and Katmandu, said the embassy.
Brady reminded the public that the penalty in
China for those caught in possession of 50 grams of prohibited
drugs, including heroin, range from 15 years to life
imprisonment to death.
One of the nine Filipinas arrested was seized
upon arrival from Kuala Lumpur on Christmas Eve. She told
authorities she was offered $5,000 by an African friend of her
Nigerian boyfriend to transport 1,000 grams of heroin in capsule
form to Guangzhou through Beijing.
"Initially, she was given US$700 as travel allowance, and
with the balance to be paid upon turnover of the drugs to an
unidentified person in Guangzhou," the embassy said. –
Anthony Ian Cruz
