THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday renewed its travel advisory for all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to take all necessary precautions to avoid involvement in illegal drug smuggling or trafficking.

Aside from dissemination through tri-media, PDEA will likewise coordinate with its counterparts from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and airport authorities to promote maximum awareness among travelers.

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PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said they retained the warning in light of the recent revelation by the Blas F. Ople Policy Center regarding the intercontinental operations of a Nigerian drug syndicate that victimized a Filipina by sending her halfway around the globe to deliver illegal drugs.

Santiago expressed deep concern over the report of former labor undersecretary Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, citing that there were more than 500 cases involving Filipino drug couriers or “mules” in different parts of the world.

Noteworthy is the fact that 210 Filipinos were apprehended in various parts of China.

PDEA has repeatedly issued travel advisories since last year for all Filipino travelers not to accommodate any requests to carry baggage from strangers because these may contain dangerous drugs.

Santiago further advised travelers to personally inspect the contents before agreeing to bring any baggage by request.

He said it was sad to note that Filipino travelers caught transporting illegal drugs can be meted the death penalty, even if they did not know they were carrying such dangerous substances.

Santiago lamented that these incidences are damaging to the country’s reputation.

In fact, he said that strict restrictions are now being imposed against Filipino travelers due to the involvement of Filipinos in illegal drug smuggling.

“It is unwise for our kababayans to risk their life and future over any amount of dangerous drugs or cash,” he added.

PDEA reiterates this advisory to safeguard all travelers from suffering the same fate as Filipinos who either died or are languishing in jail in China and other foreign countries for drug trafficking. The issue of drug “mules” was part of the agenda during the International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) Far East Working Group, where the Philippines is duly represented by the agency.

“This heightens the urgency and significance of the International Task Group on Drug Mules which I proposed during the 14th Asia-Pacific Operational Drug Enforcement Conference (ADEC) which was held in Tokyo, Japan on February 17 to 20, 2009. Thailand and China are the focal countries of the Task Group. The Task Group will facilitate information exchange and intelligence sharing to come up with effective and efficient countermeasures,” Santiago said.

The Philippines and Malaysia have likewise initiated further interventions and collaborative measures on critical drug-related issues, including the modus operandi of West African groups during the recently concluded 1st Working Group and 1st Bilateral Meeting between PDEA and the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) of the Royal Malaysia Police hosted by PDEA on June 23 to 25, 2009.

International drug groups operating in Asia, the Middle East, and South America employ West Africans who recruit unsuspecting travelers in need of money as drug couriers or “mules.”

PDEA is working on a possible memorandum of agreement (MOA) with POEA as part of the effort to educate OFWs on the issue of drug “mules,” through the inclusion of a dangerous drugs awareness lecture in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar.

“This is a persistent and continuing collaborative effort. While we are domestically intensifying our drug law enforcement operations against high value targets, we are also holding pro-active bilateral and multi-lateral meetings with fellow stakeholders to come up with effective and efficient countermeasures,” said Santiago. (VR/Sunnex)