Shops in Baguio selling bread laced with poppy seeds?

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday said that some shops in the country's City of Pines may be serving breads and pastries laced with poppy seeds?

Director Gil Castro of the PDEA-Cordillera regional office, declined to provide more details on the matter so as not to compromise their operations. He just warned the public against poppy seeds and its by-products.

The PDEA and the Department of Health Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 21, 2011, issued a memorandum ordering all establishments “to immediately stop the importation, sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of poppy seeds and products containing poppy seeds."

“Any person who may have individually brought into the country or in possession of poppy seeds and products containing poppy seeds for personal use are being directed under the advisory to discontinue using the same and immediately surrender these items to the PDEA Laboratory Service or us at the PDEA regional office,”  Castro said.

Castro said that they have asked local authorities in Baguio City and nearby areas to assist PDEA in locating the establishments that may be serving pastry products laced with the illegal drugs.

In Apr. 14, 2010, imported poppy plant seeds, contained in paper sachets printed with poppy flower picture and labels in Dutch and English, were turned over to the PDEA-Cordillera office by a policeman from Benguet.

The policeman said that the poppy seeds were surrendered to their station by a farmer.

In March 2007, an opium poppy plantation was discovered in Paoay, Atok town, Benguet. Around 550 of the plants, then valued at P500,000, were seized and torched.

The authorities believe that the poppy seeds seized in Atok town were smuggled into the country by a relative of the plantation's cultivator who lives in a country where farming of opium poppy is allowed.