Yt Framework

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) prevented six Taiwan nationals from entering the country during the celebration of Holy Week as they were profiled as members of the notorious Bamboo Gang, also engaged in illegal drug trade.

William Bell, BI intelligence and Anton Lopez from the BI Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) prevented first on April 1, 2012 Shin Yu Lin and Yu-Fan Lin, on April 5, 2012 (Holy Thursday) a certain Wu-Tsung Hun and on April 7 (Black Saturday) Hsin Tung Wang, Ming-Che Hsieh and Cheng Nan Lin.

The six boarded the turnaround flight of Eva Air from Taiwan on the same day where they boarded en route to the Philippines.
Bell said that six of them bear tattoos all over their bodies when inspected and they cannot explain why they have Cambodian and Malaysian visas in their passports as they landed in the Philippines.

“Baka shabu makers ang mga ito” Bell said.

United Nations World Drug report indicated that 2.1 percent of Filipinos from 16 to 64 years old are drug users mostly (shabu).
Immigration supervisors August Morales and Rico Pedrealba said that recently five African nationals were apprehended by authorities for bringing into the country undetermined kilos of mMethamphetamine hydrochloride also known as shabu who became drug mules of West African drug syndicates, competing with Chinese drug traders or the Bamboo gang.

For so many years now, the drug choice has been shabu, the poor man’s cocaine. The profits have also been used to finance other illegal activities, including terrorism and human trafficking.

Immigration authorities at the airports said they were instructed by Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David to keep a close watch on international travelers during Holy Week as they might take advantage of the situation.

by: PNA