PDEA nabs Guienne, two Ghanaian nationals for drug trafficking

Anti-drug agents arrested three foreigners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Tuesday for allegedly smuggling dangerous drug into the Philippines. The Director General of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. identified the arrested foreigners as Camara Aicha, a female Guienne national, and Ghanians Joseph Yaw Kyeremteng, male, together with Hamshaw Sulemans, female. In a press release dated March 14, the PDEA said its National Capital Region office under Director Pedrito Magsino and Special Enforcement Service under Director Jeoffrey Tacio conducted two interdiction operations at the NAIA. The operations were also done with the support of the NAIA Drug Interdiction Task Group, particularly the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). At about 12:30 p.m., Camara Aicha, the Guienne national, was apprehended after two kilograms of shabu were discovered in a false compartment in her luggage during inspection.  Aicha arrived in the Philippines on Etihad Airways flight EY428 from Morocco, Casablanca via Abu Dhabi, the news release said. In the evening of the same day, authorities intercepted approximately eight kilograms of shabu from a Ghanaian couple, Joseph Yaw Kyeremteng and Hamshaw Sulemans, the PDEA said.  The couple concealed the illegal packages in false compartments in four trolley bags. The Ghanians arrived in the Philippines together aboard Etihad Airways flight EY 424 from Morocco, Casablanca via Dubai, it added. Also, the PDEA indicated it has reason to believe Aicha, Kyeremteng and Sulemans are members of the African Drug Syndicates (ADS). It said, the arrested foreigners will face charges for importation, transportation, and possession of dangerous drugs in violation of Sections 4, 5, and 11 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Records maintained by PDEA reveal that from the start of this year, eight ADS members, the ones transporting and the intended receivers for the packages, have already been arrested during interdiction and subsequent follow-up operations. Also, the records reveal that from 2010 to present, a total of 52 ADS members have been arrested as a result of the intensified efforts of the Task Force Drug Couriers, the PDEA said.  Out of this figure, 63 percent are African nationals composed of Nigerians, Mozambique, Lesotho, Togolese, Ghanaian, South African, Guinean, Botswanian, Kenyan, Guienne and Ugandan, it added.  Records also show that out of the 52 ADS members nabbed, 38 or 73 percent were arrested in the Philippines, the PDEA said.  — LBG, GMA News