P19M worth of cocaine shipment seized, American traveler nabbed at NAIA

American passenger found carrying more than P19-million worth of cocaine was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last September 27.

The arrested passenger was identified as Stephen Jozeph Szuhar, 75, who flew in at around 8 p.m. from Sao Paolo, Brazil on board a connecting Qatar Airways flight.

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According to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco, BI operatives received a tip from foreign counterparts regarding the suspicious travel of Szuhar.  The BI’s Anti-Terrorist Group assigned at the NAIA immediately coordinated the matter to the NAIA Drug Interdiction Task Group, of which the BI is a member.

“Our agents at the immigration arrival counters identified Szuhar. After which, agents of the task group monitored him as he collected his luggage and proceeded to the Customs area, where it was detected by canines to be containing illegal narcotics,” said Tansingco.

Customs and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) inspection of the luggage yielded 3.7 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of P19.610-million.

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Szuhar is now being held at the PDEA Custodial Jail Facility while he faces charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as The Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.


P236-M Grand Lotto 6/55 winners claim prize

Some bettors flocked to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PSCO) office this Monday to be among the 433 winners of the Grand Lotto 6/55 draw this Saturday, who will share the jackpot prize of P236.091 million.

In PCSO’s Facebook post, it was said that each winner would take home an estimated P500,000.

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In the 6/55 lottery ball on Saturday, October 1, the winning number combination was 09-45-36-27-18-54.

According to the PCSO, the winners were from Metro Manila to Zamboanga, who bet on the lucky number nine and its multiples.

PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles insisted that there was no irregularity in the number of those who hit the draw.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III asked the Senate to investigate the incident.

According to University of the Philippines’ Institute of Mathematics Professor and OCTA Research Fellow Dr. Guido David, the probability of a bettor hitting six numbers out of 55 is one out of 30 million.

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