Airport Agents Question Indonesian Over Flu Tablets

[Mr Lee]

This is kind of worrisome to me, because I have in the past brought over the counter cold and Flu meds in for friends who need them for the colds and flus they catch here, and for my wife and myself to have in our condo in case we or family gets sick. So what is illegal when the meds are actually used for the purpose intended? I do not think any of the ones we bring in have Ephedrine in them because those are usually kept behind the counter in drug stores in the US, and we always buy our meds off the shelf, and the boxes do not list Ephedrine, but what will be illegal next? Where will they draw the line next? I could fully understand if the guy had thousands of tablets, but 90 is a reasonable amount for personal use, and especially in a place where it seems that foreigners catch colds and flu all the time. This place gets crazier and crazier every year that we are here!AIRPORT authorities seized a parcel containing 90 tablets of suspected dangerous drugs consigned to an Indonesian call center employee.Arthur Gamboa, special agent of the Customs Task Force on Dangerous Drugs and Controlled Chemicals, and Roger Lagran, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency investigator, said the suspected illegal substance in a parcel was identified as Tremenza Pseudoephedrine HCL.Gamboa and Lagran identified the Indonesian call center employee as Vinchart Dave Dundu, 22, came forward to claim the items, with airway bill number EE128928124ID.He was held by the PDEA for further investigation while his Tremenza tablets would be subjected to laboratory examination by PDEA chemists.Tremeza tablets contain Ephedrine, one of the substances in the manufacture of metamphetamine hydrochloride, locally called shabu.Dundu said Tremenza tablets are usually prescribed for flu. “I took it when I was sick.”He added that this the first time for him to receive the medicine through the mail because most of the time, he said he brought them along with him when he comes to Manila from Indonesia.The agents asked Dundu to produce medical prescriptions and a narcotic license before he could claim his items.Dundu said he just arrived six months ago but failed to bring his medicine with him.If the laboratory tests show that the tablets are positive for dangerous drug, the task force and PDEA will file a case against Dundu before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s office.Sherwin Andrada, chief of the customs task force, said they would also probe Dundu’s background to check if he is working as a courier for drug syndicates.The actual story HERE

[FlyAway]

I remember from my USAF days in 1984 being warned about taking off the shelf "Cold Medications" to Japan.

[Old55]

I agree this seems kinda extreme. I would not knowingly bring any OTC Ephedrine into Philippines or the States.

[Bruce]

The guy did not 'bring in' anything, he did a mail order and it was subject to a random search (HA!) and the tablets were on some banned list. Happens every day in the US with THOUSANDS of people ordering mail order meds from Canada, India and other countries. In the US most cases are simply concluded with the meds being seized unless it is a 'hard' narcotic. 90 pills that contain a small amount of ephederine is obviously a person use situation as compared to a 'Chinese' getting caught trying to import 100 kilos or more and falseifying the shipping bill to conceal the true contents. So I think the guy will end up with a drawn out minor case that we will never hear about again.

[Mr Lee]

The guy did not 'bring in' anything, he did a mail order and it was subject to a random search (HA!) and the tablets were on some banned list. Happens every day in the US with THOUSANDS of people ordering mail order meds from Canada, India and other countries. In the US most cases are simply concluded with the meds being seized unless it is a 'hard' narcotic. 90 pills that contain a small amount of ephederine is obviously a person use situation as compared to a 'Chinese' getting caught trying to import 100 kilos or more and falseifying the shipping bill to conceal the true contents. So I think the guy will end up with a drawn out minor case that we will never hear about again.

I guess you have not been reading previous posts, it seems the govt of the Philippines has decided to declare war on foreigners who break the laws here, something to do with US money stopping if they don't, so while THIS person got them by mail, you can rest assured that they will probably start spot checking people who bring things in, since the law says Bringing Medicine into the PhilippinesOver the counter drugs are available in pharmacies or drug stores in the country. However, if visitors insist on bringing their own prescriptive drugs, they may do so but only in quantities sufficient for the duration of their stay in the country.Visitors taking prescription drugs (tablets and ampoules) should bring a letter from their physician stating the condition for which they are receiving treatment and the dosage. The amount of drugs brought into the country should also be sufficient for the duration of the visit. For those who are travelling onward to another country, they are advised that separate quantity of drugs should be sealed and declared again before exiting the country.So maybe best to play it safe and have everything in the correct bottles, and only have enough for the time frame of our trips, and most important, have a letter from our doctors (which I do) as to what we are being treated for, and what meds we are prescribed for those conditions, be they over the counter or not. Oh, and they are going to send that guy to jail if the meds test positive for that drug, which they will no doubt, since I am sure the box lists what is in them. It is not my place to tell you or anyone how to live your lives, but if in the future we read about some of our members who refused to follow the laws ending up in trouble, it will not be because they did not know any better, and it will be because they thought they knew better than others. You do not have to be wrong to be wrong here, you just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is not the US and one cannot click their heals and end up in Kansas while in a jail here.