CAMP CRAME – Authorities arrested two persons in Batangas who received an illegal shipment of high-grade Kush Marijuana sent thru parcel service from the United States.
PNP Chief, Police General Debold M Sinas citing reports from Police Brigadier General Ronald Lee, Director of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), identified the arrested suspects as: John Yengle Hernandez (vape store owner),29, of Banaybanay 1st, San Jose, Batangas; and Van Joshua Magpantay, 29, of Barangay 3, Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas.
Sinas said Hernandez and Magpantay were arrested after they received a shipment containing illegal drugs earlier flagged by the NAIA-Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG).
“The arrested persons obviously know where this high-grade marijuana comes from. Whether they cooperate or not, we are going after their international and local sources. The PDEG has been relentless in its efforts and I commend them for helping us win the war against illegal drugs.”, Sinas said.
The NAIA-IADITG was alerted by the Bureau of Customs of the discovery of the illegal shipment, containing 500 grams of Kush Marijuana in a parcel sent by one Nina Manual from California, USA to the consignee, Demetria Escalona with address at Brgy Dalipit East, Alitagtag, Batangas.
A controlled delivery operation was launched by joint teams of NAIA-IADITG composed of PDEA, PNP-DEG, PNP-AVSEG, BOC-NAIA, PDEA, and NBI.
According to Sinas, during the controlled delivery operation, the consignee authorized Van Joshua Magpantay to receive the parcel. The latter then provided John Yengle Hernandez’s vape shop address located in Lipa City for the delivery.
Upon the arrival of the NAIA-IADITG operatives at the vape shop, Magpantay and Hernandez received the parcel and were promptly arrested.
The NAIA-IADITG recently intercepted a shipment at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) containing 535 tablets of Ecstacy party drugs worth P1-million concealed in an air parcel originating from the Netherlands and misdeclared as documents.