BOC says arrested drug suspect on ‘AWOL’ since 2022

THE Bureau of Customs denied news reports that one of the five suspects arrested during an anti-drug operation in Cagayan de Oro City is still connected with the agency.

In a statement on October 23, the BOC said the suspect, alias ‘Ton,’ has been ‘absent without official leave’ (AWOL) since July 2022 “and has not reported for duty or performed any official functions within the Bureau since then.”

The BOC made the clarification more than a week after the operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at a suspected drug den inside Adelaida Park Residences in Bgy. Balulang, CDO, in the late evening of October 15.

The statement from the PDEA-10 regional office quoted by the media in local reports identified the suspects by their aliases as “Drew,” 39, and “Cha,” 37, both residents of the subdivision and alleged co-owners and maintainers of the drug den; “Al,” 57, and “Adi,” 41, both from Looc, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental; and “Ton,” 38, a Bureau of Customs officer from Mandaue City, Cebu.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of two sachets of suspected shabu weighing approximately five grams and valued at ₱34,000, along with an eyeglass case, a cellphone, two pistols—a Glock 21 caliber .45 with 13 rounds of ammunition and a Bersa Thunder caliber .380 with 15 rounds—a Toyota Vios, drug paraphernalia, and the buy-bust money.

The BOC said it strongly condemns any involvement in illegal activities, especially those related to illegal drugs, and supports the ongoing investigation being conducted by the proper authorities.