Indonesian saleslady moonlighting as a drug mule for the West African Drug Syndicate (WADS) was arrested upon arrival at the NAIA

Indonesian saleslady moonlighting as a drug mule for the West African Drug Syndicate (WADS) was arrested upon arrival at the NAIA last week after K-9 dogs sniffed out some three kilos of methamphetamines, a component in making shabu, hidden in her luggage.

Media Aprideri, 28, was presented by the NBI in a press conference yesterday, attended by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Aprideri yielded three blocks of high grade methamphetamines from Ethiopia worth an estimated P17 million.

Ross Jonathan Galicia, NBI-Reaction Arrest and Interdiction Division chief, said the suspect, who arrived on May 19, managed to pass through the NAIA’s sophisticated x-ray machine without the illegal substance being discovered, but K-9 dogs were able to detect the contraband.

"Thank God for the sniffing dogs. If not for them, Aprideri would have not been arrested. The shabu coming from Africa is of a higher grade and uniform grain and is even cheaper than that produced locally. The contraband passes through several transit points to avoid detection," said Galicia.

Aprideri was arrested through the joint operation of the NBI and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency working on the information that a suspected drug mule, who was on her way back to Indonesia from Ethiopia, was to arrive in the country that day.

The illegal drugs, wrapped in packaging tape then sealed in an envelope, were stashed in a hidden pocket of Aprideri’s luggage.

"The suspect did not deny that she was carrying illegal drugs when she was being investigated," Galicia said.

Binay said members of WADS have temporarily stopped using Filipinos as drug mules due to the recent execution of three Filipinos in China as well as the intensified operations of PDEA and NBI against the syndicate