Pubdate: Mon, 07 Jul 2003 Source: Manila Bulletin (The Philippines) Contact: http://www.mb.com.ph/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/906 MIAA CHIEF HELPS PDEA DETER ENTRY OF ILLEGAL DRUGS Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Edgardo Manda has come up with convincing approaches to help neutralize local and international drug syndicates using the airport as entry point of transshipment. Manda ordered the Aviation Security Group (ASG) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) personnel to tighten inspection measures on baggage, packages and even bottled water, and body search on all arriving passengers, including persons with high positions in the government, military and police, and their escorts in an effort to uncover those behind the illicit drug activity. He said the strict imposition of security and inspection measures will help deter the entry of illegal drugs through the airport. "This is one way of helping the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)," he said. PDEA reported that transnational syndicates have been using the seaports, economic zones, airports, post offices and vast sea waters as entry points of drug transshipment. Despite the difficulty of the task to uncover drug trafficking, the MIAA chief is determined to cooperate with various government agencies, particularly the PDEA, led by Anselmo Avenido, to ensure that illegal drugs are prevented from entering the country and would not find its way to the market. He responded to the directive of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to crack down one-third of the 175 local and international drug syndicates in a renewed anti-drug campaign in three months time. The President earmarked a R1-billion budget and directed PDEA as the lead agency to neutralize transnational drug syndicates that actively operate in the country. "Everyone must get involved in the call of the President to hunt down leaders of drug syndicates," Manda said. He requested the Philippine National Police to furnish him with a complete and updated list of drug traders of large syndicates actively operating in the Philippines so that the MIAA management could closely monitor if they have been using the international airport as entry point of transshipment of illegal drugs. He, however, vowed to respect the confidentiality of the information so as not to preempt crackdown operations, saying MIAA authorities are offering their services to fight the drug menace. He also asked airport authorities and personnel to double-check the passports and visas of naturalized citizens arriving at and leaving the airport terminal if they have been using their ethnic names in an attempt to conceal their identity to evade the law. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager