Manila, Philippines - Syndicates which are planning to bring in shipments of illegal drugs and controlled chemicals into the country would not only have to deal with Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel, but would also have to pass the detection of drug-sniffing dogs of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
This, as the BOC and the PDEA yesterday introduced their latest search and detection capability in airports and seaports to thwart attempts of syndicates to bring contraband items into the country.
Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez said the drug-sniffing dogs that would serve as added security in ports, were the result of a memorandum of agreement between the two agencies.
“We are allowing the canines to be deployed in the BOC. We all know that the problem of illegal drugs is not only the concern of the BOC, but also everyone’s concern. I think that the deployment of these canines would be a good deterrent so if there are people who are thinking of importing illegal drugs through our seaports, they should not push through with their activities because the BOC and the PDEA would only apprehend them,” Alvarez said.
He said the dogs would “only engage in random inspection.” “Remember that there are many ways to check the cargo. We also have 30 X-ray machines and we also have the physical inspection,” he added.
The BOC is creating a new unit to be called the Customs Task Force on Dangerous Drugs and Controlled Chemicals.
PDEA Director General Jose Gutierrez Jr. said the BOC now allows them to conduct inspections in ports.
“We would be allowed to coordinate with the BOC so we could check the chemicals coming in. We would be able to uncover the controlled chemicals and their end-use, to avoid diversions (of the shipments),” Gutierrez said.
But he clarified that the presence of the dogs in ports does not mean there is a renewed threat of illegal drugs.
“We just want to be sure, so that we would have peace of mind that we have all the entry points covered. At this stage, we would also be upgrading our K9 unit and acquire dogs with better breeds. Our personnel would also undergo training in the United States,” he said.
Gutierrez said they would also be doing inspections in roll-on, roll-off ports.