KAGAYANon.net, Cagayan de Oro City Forum

[cG]

Suspicious drug cargo turned out to be sugar
By Annabelle L. Ricalde

TAGOLOAN, Misamis Oriental-- Police initially thought they hit pay dirt when a concerned engineer turned over 14 boxes bearing white substances believed to be shabu or methamphitamine hydrochloride Thursday night.

Engineer Rey "Tata" Paduganan, a resident of Tandang Sora Street Villa Geraldina in Tagoloan, told the police that the boxes were loaded inside his cargo van by mistake by Outbox Express, a forwarding firm.

Their suspicion hiked up further when a representative from Outbox Express came Friday and told them they could not locate the names of 14 consignees including Carlito Sajol of Pinikitan, Barangay Camaman-an.

Police Senior Inspector Nannette P. Odchigue, officer-in-charge of the Tagoloan Municipal Police Station, immediately sent samples of the substance to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory for examination Friday.

But before the results of the examination arrived Friday, Sajol arrived with his 26-year-old daughter, Olim, in tow.

Sajol said the suspicious substance is nothing but white sugar from Kuwait, which Olim sent via Carlos A. Gothong shipping when she arrived here last February 15. He said Olim, who arrived by plane, sent the big box by cargo when she found out that she already have excess baggage.

Odchigue told Sajol not to blame the police and Paduganan for suspecting the cargo contained illegal drugs.

"We were surprised why your cargo turned up with Paduganan. We assure you nothing was taken in your cargo except for the samples we took for the Crime Lab," Odchigue told Sajol.

Sajol said he understood why the police seized his cargo and as long as nothing was taken, he will not file any charges against the police.

"Natingala ko nga wala pa niabot akong package unya dinhi na nuon nakapaingon nga door-to-door delivery man unta base sa akong gibayaran sa didto pa ko sa Kuwait (I wondered why the package did not arrive when it was supposed to be a door-to-door delivery service)," Sajol said.

Paduganan said he was surprised when he opened the cargo van and found the 14 boxes last April 2. He said he hired the van from Carlos A Gothong for exclusive use to bring the equipment for the water purifier station he planned to set up in Tagoloan. He said he paid the amount of P32,701 as exclusive consignee.

He said he waited for a day, calling up Outbox Express about the suspicious boxes but was told that somebody would contact him soon. When the call did not came, Paduganan said he went to the police.

Odchigue said they opened the box in the presence of Paduganan and several Tagoloan town officials. She said they found two sacks containing rice and the suspicious white substance. The sacks have labels that said Kuwait rice and sugar.

"Kuwait sugar daw ug ang usa Kuwait rice pero lahi man gud ang grano but I still don't know since wala man ta nakakita ug nakatilaw sa sugar sa Kuwait," Odchigue said.

Andre Bricy blamed the Carlos A. Gothong Lines for the mix-up.

[goma]

maka-adik man gihapon ang sugar... daghan gani na-high ana... highblood..

[charmz18]

..haha !
kaLamih rahz tam-is..