A 35-year old Filipino ended up in jail in Peru after more than 6 kilos of illegal drugs were discovered in his possession, according to a report by the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday.
The DFA said it received a report from the Philippine Embassy in Santiago, Chile regarding the apprehension of a male Filipino on September 30, 2009.
The suspect, whom the embassy did not name for privacy reasons, was headed for Lima, Peru and to other intermediary points, with Hanoi, Vietnam as the alleged final destination.
Earlier, a Filipina was also arrested in Arica, Chile for transporting drugs while another was apprehended in Ecuador for drug trafficking.
“These are seemingly more daring and brazen attempts by drug syndicates in the region to use Filipinos to transport banned substances across international borders,” said Philippine Ambassador to Chile, Maria Consuelo Puyat-Reyes.
She also stated that the incidents involving Filipino drug mules in Peru and Ecuador are becoming “especially alarming.”
Likewise, she warned Filipinos traveling to South America “to be wary of drug syndicates enticing travelers to transport illegal drugs, no matter how lucrative the ‘handling’ fee may appear.”
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