Teco: Taiwan not source of illegal drugs

I am writing in response to the article “P6.8-B ‘shabu’ smuggling: BOC men probed” (8/13/18) alleging that “Authorities believed the magnetic lifters came in as one shipment from Taiwan.”

I would like to clarify that Taiwan is not the origin country of the more or less 500 kilos of illegal drugs (“shabu”) seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) last week.

Without presenting any convincing and verified evidence by the Philippine authorities, it is therefore totally inappropriate to make groundless allegation and accusation against Taiwan for being the “source” of the illegal drugs in the Philippines.

As a matter of fact, Taiwan has been jointly fighting against transnational trafficking of illegal drugs with the Philippines. Through collaborative efforts, Philippine authorities have been able to resolve many illegal drug cases.

In the past four years, Philippine authorities have been able to seize a lot of shabu and material to produce the substance. The market value of the confiscated illegal drugs is around P2 billion.

Philippine authorities have been grateful for Taiwan’s unreserved assistance and cooperation in cracking down on illegal drugs.

We are all aware that cross-border illegal drugs have become a global and regional concern, which requires all countries involved to work in partnership to combat drug trafficking.

I am calling on the Philippine government to share with Taiwan any information that may lead to the apprehension and arrest of illegal drug criminals.

Finally, I would like to reiterate that Taiwan is definitely not the country that exports illegal drugs to the Philippines. On the contrary, Taiwan is a trustworthy partner in the Philippines’ endeavor to fight transnational illegal drugs.

JERRY CHUANG,
Director,
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines