VINEGAR USED IN TRANSPORTING ECSTASY TO U.S., EUROPE

A WELL entrenched drug syndicate based in the Philippines is now using
bottled vinegar in exporting drugs particularly shabu and Ecstasy
pills to Europe and the United States.

This was relayed to People's Tonight by a highly reliable source from
the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in connection with the
current activities by drug syndicate using our country as base of its
international drug operation which also includes Japan.

People's Tonight learned that the illegal importation of some 700
kilos of ketamine (main ingredient in manufacturing ecstasy) late
last year using the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is
enough to supply the whole of Europe and New York including Japan.

To avoid being detected, NBI source told People's Tonight the
syndicate now engages in exporting bottled vinegar where all
ingredients in making shabu and ecstacy are placed.

"Inihahalo nila sa suka ang tinunaw na sangkap ng shabu o ecstasy at
kapag naideliver na sa iba't ibang bansa ay doon muli nila ito bubuuin
sa isa ring laboratoryo para maging ganap na tableta ng ecstasy o
shabu," the source said.

The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFD), the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB)as
well as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) recently
included ketamine in their list of prohibited drugs.

The same NBI source told People's Tonight that they also keep on tight
watch several Customs brokers and importers who are reportedly engaged
in the illegal importation of shabu, ketamine, and other related
chemicals used in the illegal drugs.

The syndicate concealed hundred kilos of shabu in their shipments from
the different risk countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and
even used Singapore as their transshipment point.

The drug syndicate also used different techniques in drug exchange
deals such as exchanging car keys in the different parking lots, hotel
keys and other tactics to avoid being detected by law enforcers.

The payment could be coursed through ATMs, savings banks, and other
electronic cash exchange.