NEARLY P1 million worth of smuggled medicines and illegal drugs were confiscated from a Pakistani by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency -Cordillera (PDEA) last week.
The 34-year-old Pakistani, Ghulam Rsuool Sheikh, was caught for selling methergin ampules and tablets, Stilnox tablets, and Valium ampules to a female agent of PDEA-CAR who posed as a medical representative, PDEA said in a statement.
In a buy-bust operation at the Gov. Pack Road bus terminal last March 4, Sheikh allegedly sold the prohibited drugs placed inside tubes of ointment creams, tablets packs, eye drop bottles and common drug capsules, which are stuffed in a small carton carefully sealed with packing tape ready for sale to the PDEA agent.
Sheikh, who is married to a Filipina, was a native of Lahore, Pakistan and a former student in one of the universities in the city.
In addition, five other aptly labeled packages of suspected smuggled drugs to be sent to Sheikh’s clients in other towns and cities in northern Luzon were also confiscated from the suspect during the anti-drug operation.
In one of the packages, numerous Valium tablets were found in one of the packages mixed with similarly packed medicines made by international pharmaceutical companies, which are still not classified in the list of PDEA-controlled and banned substances.
Other non-dangerous drug medicines recovered from the packages include vials of Clavistan powder for injection; Biogesic, Ponstan 500, Lipitor and Norvasc tablets; and Tuseran Forte, Alaxan, Ponstan SF, Zithrom and Cefrox capsules, the PDEA reported.
The total worth of confiscated smuggled drugs amounted to P953,229.25 with P62,701 worth of illegal drugs composed the contraband confiscated by the anti-drug agency.
Unauthorized sale and possession of these are punishable in the Philippines under Republic Act (RA) 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Sheikh will face criminal charges for violations of the Sale of Dangerous Drugs and or Possession of Dangerous Drugs stated in RA 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act at the city prosecutors office.