By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) are investigating possible local links to a 521-kilogram shabu shipment worth PHP3.54 billion seized from a private jet in Laos, with authorities vowing to prevent the country from becoming a transshipment point for illegal drugs.
At a press briefing on Monday, PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co confirmed that a Filipino national was arrested after authorities seized the suspected shabu at Luang Prabang International Airport. The shipment was reportedly bound for the Philippines.
“We have no authority, we have no jurisdiction over them… We are in the process of determining whether further police action is warranted under our laws. Siguro kung may kasabwat dito, ‘yun ang titignan natin kung warranted pa kasi wala tayong control (Maybe if there is an accomplice here, that’s when we’ll look at it because we have no control over) what happened doon (there),” he said.
Co said the PNP is coordinating with the PDEA and foreign law enforcement agencies to verify the shipment’s origin and destination and determine possible links to international drug trafficking.
In a separate briefing, PDEA chief Isagani Nerez identified the arrested Filipino only as Fahad, reportedly a resident of Marawi City.
Nerez said investigators are working to establish Fahad’s links and identify his alleged accomplices in the Philippines.
“We are conducting proactive investigation for intelligence purposes para malaman natin kung sino mga kakutsyaba nila, and once na na-establish natin ang next na gagawin is case buildup against this person (so we can identify who their accomplices are, and once that is established the next step will be building a case against this person),” Nerez said.
“That is now the focus of our investigation, but the challenge is we have to establish the link, who are his cohorts in the Philippines,” he added.
Nerez said the agency has identified potential suspects and is building cases against them.
Investigators identified a certain “Boyet” as the person who allegedly arranged Fahad’s travel from Malaysia to Laos, where the shabu was to be loaded. However, “Boyet” reportedly left for Hong Kong a day before the PDEA learned Fahad’s identity.
Nerez said the two men were linked to Samgor, which he described as one of three major drug syndicates operating in the region. He said many of the group’s members were from Mindanao and that the PDEA had arrested several of them in previous operations.
Nerez also said the PDEA had received information about a separate shipment of 1,178 kilograms of shabu worth PHP8.01 billion aboard a fishing vessel intercepted by Thai authorities on Oct. 7. Six Thai crew members were arrested.
He said Philippine authorities had been monitoring the vessel after PDEA and Philippine Navy personnel encountered it in Philippine waters in August during what he described as a “familiarity trip.” The vessel was later released but placed on the agency’s watchlist.
Meanwhile, Nerez said the Marcos administration’s campaign against illegal drugs has resulted in the seizure of PHP124.58 billion worth of narcotics so far, surpassing the PHP91.16 billion recorded during the six-year Duterte administration. (PNA)
DRUG PROBE. Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co confirms during a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday (Oct. 12, 2026) the arrest of a Filipino national in Laos following the seizure of suspected shabu worth PHP3.54 billion from a private jet at Luang Prabang International Airport. The shipment was reportedly bound for the Philippines.
