Police arrested over the weekend a woman who tried to send shabu to her son in Dubai by stashing sachets of the drug in a package she gave to a neighbor who was about to go there.
Nailah Padellon, 21, accidentally discovered there was something extra in the package given to her by a certain “Baby,” a former neighbor. Padellon was bound to return to her job in Dubai last Saturday.
On Saturday morning, Padellon noticed that rats had nibbled on the package. While trying to fix the package, Padellon noticed several plastic sachets containing crystalline granules of what she suspected was shabu. She reported her discovery to her parents, who advised her to report it to the police.
Meisic police station chief Superintendent Nelson Yabut told Padellon to contact Baby to inform her that she is returning the package as she was postponing her trip to Dubai.
They agreed to meet at a mall in Binondo, where Yabut deployed anti-drugs operatives to arrest the suspected drug distributor.
Padellon handed the package to Baby, who walked away, opened the package and pulled out the 10 plastic sachets. Police then pounced on the woman, who gave her name as Ma. Christina Chuidian, 48, a widow, and resident of Sta. Cruz.
During interrogation, Chuidian admitted trying to send 10 plastic sachets of shabu to her son in Dubai through Padellon. She said she did not inform Padellon that the package contained illegal drugs.
“My son, who lost his job in Dubai, informed me that he could earn a lot in that part of the world by selling shabu. So I bought P10,000 worth of shabu… packed it between my son’s clothes and asked (Padellon) to deliver it to my son in Dubai,” Chuidian said.
Yabut said “it’s a good move that Padellon informed the police about her finding. She could end up in jail if the drugs were discovered at the airport.”
Chuidian was charged with transporting illegal drugs, a non-bailable offense. – Nestor Etolle