Drugs from Russia, China

Herbie Gomez

“… There are three of us against the world — China, Philippines and Russia.” -President Rodrigo Duterte, Beijing, October 2016

THERE’S a March 1 CNN report about a 2016 drug bust in Buenos Aires that turned into a major PR nightmare for Russia’s diplomats, and the Kremlin for that matter.

According to the report, the operation involved Argentine and Russian authorities who replaced the drugs with flour and planted tracking devices so they could catch drug traffickers.

At first glance, the CNN report adds, it would look like a textbook example of how cross-border cooperation — specifically on how diplomats helped the police in another country — gave a government’s “war on drugs” a boost until one looks closely and sees that there is a devil in the details.

First, a former Russian Embassy employee in Argentina was among those caught.

Second, the drugs — 389 kilograms of cocaine to be exact — were found within the closely guarded Russian Embassy’s grounds.

Third, photos and videos released by the Argentine police show that the plane that transported the cargo was Russian — it was part of the Special Flight Detachment Rossiya. Understandably, this raised very serious questions on exactly how an aircraft being used by Russian VIPs was used in making a drug delivery.

And how did Russia’s Foreign Ministry respond to the legitimate questions and stories of Russian media organizations? It posted screenshots of their stories, labeled these “fake,” and accused those pursuing the story of engaging in a “campaign replete with unverified and conspiracy information.”

Sounds familiar.

Here at home, serious questions about the May 2017 shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China still  linger on.

How, in heaven’s name, was it possible for drug traffickers to make 604 kilograms of shabu get past what was supposed to have been tight screening at the Bureau of Customs?

Who exactly was the source of the shipment from China, and why is it that until now, the public has not seen any serious effort on the part of the government or even by the Chinese government to identify and bring the supplier to justice?

By November 2017, based on an Inquirer report, the justice department cleared former Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, directors Milo Maestrecampo and Neil Estrella, intelligence officers Joel Pinawin and Oliver Valiente, lawyers Jeleena Magsuci and Philip Maronilla, Alexandra Ventura, Randolph Cabansag, Dennis Maniego, Dennis Cabildo and John Edillor;

National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Organized Transnational Crime Division members Dennis Siyhian, Marie Catherine Nolasco, special investigators Marfil Baso, Joselito Guilen, Darwin Francisco and Edgardo Kawada.

The justice department also cleared officers of Hong Fei Logistics that rented the warehouse were the shabu shipment was found: Genelita Arayan, Dennis Nocom, Zhang Hong, Rene Palle, Richard Rebistual and Mary Rose dela Cruz.

Emily Anoche-Dee, owner of the warehouse, was also cleared.

Faeldon’s successor, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, told senators in January that no Customs employee was facing charges in connection with the shipment.

The last time I checked, only Anoche Dee’s brother Fidel, the warehouse’s caretaker, has been detained.

So who will go to jail for this shipment? Some “war on drugs” this is. Pastilan.