N-Methylephedrine found
in NFA rice from Vietnam
Substance can be processed
into shabu ingredient: PDEA
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Bureau of Customs in Bacolod City has issued a hold order on a Vietnamese-registered vessel, its crew and its cargo of 77,000 bags of rice consigned to the National Food Authority, after the discovery of more than 50 bags of a substance that can be processed into an ingredient for making methamphetamine or shabu among its shipment.

Customs port collector Julius Primedeles issued the hold order on the MW Trai Thien 66 and its crew docked at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (BREDCO) Port 3 in Bacolod City for possible violation of the Customs and Tariff Code since there was a "misdeclaration" of the shipment,        Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 legal officer Ronnie Delicana said yesterday.

Delicana said, so far, they have found 51 bags, containing white crystalline substance that lab tests have shown to be N-Methylephedrine that is not included in the table of dangerous drugs and the list on precursors for essential chemicals for drugs.

A septuagenarian was burned to death on Tuesday, while attempting to put out a fire in the sugarcane field owned by her daughter in Brgy. Calapi, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental.

Senior Inspector Sonny Boy Bernus, Hinigaran police chief, yesterday identified the victim as Celedonia Losabia, 78, and a widow.

Bernus said Losabia was trying to put out the fire, which was engulfing the sugarcane field of her daughter, Roselyn Espelita, when she lost her balance, and caught fire herself.

The police is investigating the possible link of the series of car burglaries in Bacolod City to the suspected “basag-kotse” gang men arrested in Iloilo City Wednesday morning, Iloilo City Police Office Director Senior Supt. Melvin Mongcal said yesterday.

Suspected car burglars Arvin Morilla, 28, Francisco Reyes, 32, Benjamin Salvacion, 38, all of Brgy. Silway, General Santos City; Faustino Lumanog, 38, of Limbana Camarines Sur; and Jade Cariño, 29, of Brgy. Sambang, Lipa City were arrested at the Moriz Hotel in Jaro District, Iloilo City by joint operatives of Jaro and Mandurriao police, following series of car burglaries in Iloilo Tuesday.