Manila court convicts 3 in nearly P1-B drug case

THE Department of Justice (DoJ) said a Manila court has convicted three individuals for their role in the importation of nearly P1 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, concealed in a shipment declared as tapioca starch.

In a statement on Wednesday, the DoJ said Branch 21 of the Regional Trial Court of Manila on Jan. 23 found Muktasil Abundol Asimuddin, Emmanuel Paulo Delos Reyes, and George Fernandez guilty of violating Section 1401(g), in relation to Section 118(g), of Republic Act No. 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

The court ruled that the three accused had “indispensable participation” in the unlawful importation of the illegal drugs, which were hidden inside aluminum pallets used to carry sacks of tapioca starch. Authorities said the shipment, abandoned in early 2019, was initially declared as containing only tapioca starch. Further investigation revealed that the pallets holding the sacks also concealed about 148.81 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, with an estimated value of P998.3 million.

“The court sentenced each of the accused to reclusion perpetua and imposed a fine of P50 million,” the DoJ said.

The prosecution panel included Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Mary Jane W. Sytat, Assistant State Prosecutors Magelli Anne DL. Diaz and Mary Grace V. Pulido-Sadian, and Prosecution Attorney Eugene Q. Yusi. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking