The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency filed criminal charges against a suspected Chinese drug lord and several others, in connection with the smuggling in of P1.8 billion worth of illegal drugs.
Acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon confirmed that the complaints against suspected drug lord Xu Zhi Jian alias Jacky Co and his co-accused were filed by the PDEA before the Department of Justice.
Fadullon said the case has yet to be assigned to an investigating prosecutor who will conduct a preliminary investigation.
Fadullon said he will leave it up to Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva to assign a prosecutor who will be handling the case for the conduct of a preliminary investigation.
In its complaint, the PDEA accused the respondents, including the officers and directors of Wealth Lotus Empire Corp. and Fortuneyield Cargo Services of importing illegal drugs.
Also charged were one Brother Dong-An Dong; Julie Hao Gamboa, both Chinese nationals; and Fe Tamayosa, Alvin Bautista, Jane Abello Castillo, Carlo Dale Zueta, Abraham Torecampo, Arwin Caparros, Leonardo Sucaldito, Mark Leo Magpayo, Brian Pabilona, Meldy Sayson, Rhea Tolosa, Edgardo Dominado, Jerry Siguenza and Debbie Joy Aceron, all Filipino citizens.
The officers and directors of the Wealth Lotus Empire Corp. located at Unit 305A Consuelo Building, No. 929 Nicanor Reyes St., Barangay 395, Sampaloc, Manila; and Fortuneyield Cargo Services Corp. located at Unit 888 Ground Floor B, The Centennial Building, 375 Escolta Street, Binondo, Manila, consignees of the illegal drugs, were also sued.
Some 276 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, worth P1.876 billion managed to slip into the country.
The PDEA discovered March 22 the shipment concealed in plastic resin due to information from its counterparts in Vietnam.
The PDEA also found that Lotus Empire Corp. and Fortuneyield Corp. were the consignees of the shipment.
Senator Panfilo Lacson assailed the PDEA and the Bureau of Customs for having allowed Co to leave the Philippines after the shipment was seized, consider he has been on the watch list of the International Criminal Police Organization.
The Bureau of Customs, meanwhile, clarified it was seized tapioca starch and not “shabu” that was auctioned off at the Manila International Container Port, which turned out to be P1.8 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride.
In a statement, the bureau agrees that the auction of prohibited items is not allowed under Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
“As far as the BOC is concerned, what was auctioned in April 2019 was tapioca starch which is highly perishable in nature,” the BOC said.
Lacson didn’t accept the bureau’s explanation, however, after Goldwin Commodity in Santolan, Malabon City reported that the shipment actually contained shabu.
This was discovered when one of the aluminum pallets containing the drug fell during a cleaning process.
The BOC said it is now conducting a thorough investigation on the matter to look into the personalities involved in the importation of illegal drugs.
