American traveler caught with P19.6M cocaine at NAIA

[Ram1957]

How stupid can you get!

MANILA – A 75-year-old American man was arrested for allegedly trying to slip in illegal drugs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Wednesday. 

Based on its initial report, the agency said the suspect Stephen Joseph Szuhar, a retired casino manager, yielded around 3.7 kg. of white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine worth PHP19.6 million in an interdiction operation conducted by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (IADITG) on Tuesday night.

Szuhar arrived at the Customs International Arrival Area in NAIA Terminal 3 at around 8 p.m. via Qatar Airways Flight QR 932 from Doha, Qatar.

After screening and conduct of inspection, the cocaine was found in his luggage. 

Also seized from the suspect were one black luggage containing assorted clothes, several pieces of carbon paper, and three pieces of improvised pouches made of packaging tape each containing a white powdering substance.

The seized pieces of evidence are submitted to the PDEA Laboratory Service for qualitative and quantitative examination.

The suspect will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as "The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002". (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1184790

 

[OnMyWay]

12 minutes ago, Ram1957 said:

How stupid can you get!

Agree, on the face of it.  There might be more to the story.  Assuming he started in the U.S., he had to make it through security in the U.S. and Doha without detection.  Bags in the U.S. go through rigorous inspection.  Given the bullet scandals of the past, I'm skeptical.  75 year old man?

[Mike J]

5 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Agree, on the face of it.  There might be more to the story.  Assuming he started in the U.S., he had to make it through security in the U.S. and Doha without detection.  Bags in the U.S. go through rigorous inspection.  Given the bullet scandals of the past, I'm skeptical.  75 year old man?

This article indicates the drugs came from Brazil.  Be interesting to follow the story and see if PHP can determine who ultimately was to receive the cocane.  At his age he is almost certainly a "drug mule" being paid to transport the drugs.   

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/09/28/2212700/p196-million-cocaine-seized-naia

MANILA, Philippines — Cocaine with an estimated street value of P19.6 million was seized from a traveler who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) from Qatar yesterday.

Agents of the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group arrested Stephen Joseph Szuhar, an American who flew in from Doha on board Qatar Airways flight QR 932.

The suspect and the drugs reportedly originally came from Brazil.

Customs officials at the NAIA said they received information from foreign sources that a traveller from Doha was carrying illegal drugs in his luggage.

The luggage was subjected to K9, X-ray and physical examination, which resulted in the discovery of 3.7 kilos of cocaine, authorities said.

Szuhar will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Drug Act, and RA 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

[OnMyWay]

26 minutes ago, Mike J said:

This article indicates the drugs came from Brazil.  Be interesting to follow the story and see if PHP can determine who ultimately was to receive the cocane.  At his age he is almost certainly a "drug mule" being paid to transport the drugs.   

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/09/28/2212700/p196-million-cocaine-seized-naia

MANILA, Philippines — Cocaine with an estimated street value of P19.6 million was seized from a traveler who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) from Qatar yesterday.

Agents of the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group arrested Stephen Joseph Szuhar, an American who flew in from Doha on board Qatar Airways flight QR 932.

The suspect and the drugs reportedly originally came from Brazil.

Customs officials at the NAIA said they received information from foreign sources that a traveller from Doha was carrying illegal drugs in his luggage.

The luggage was subjected to K9, X-ray and physical examination, which resulted in the discovery of 3.7 kilos of cocaine, authorities said.

Szuhar will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Drug Act, and RA 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

With this new information, I would say mule is probably likely.  Perhaps even unknown to him.  E.g., 'Can you take this package to my brother in Manila?".  Still strange that "foreign sources" are the reason he was caught.

[OnMyWay]

16 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

With this new information, I would say mule is probably likely.  Perhaps even unknown to him.  E.g., 'Can you take this package to my brother in Manila?".  Still strange that "foreign sources" are the reason he was caught.

Seems unlikely that he was knowingly smuggling drugs.  He is screwed now.

Stephen Szuhar's birthday is 03/31/1947 and is 75 years old. Stephen Szuhar currently lives in Tampa, FL; in the past Stephen has also lived in Dallas TX and Las Vegas NV. In the past, Stephen has also been known as Stephen J Szuhar, Stephen J Szvhar, Stephen Joseph Szuhar and Stepehn J Szuhar. He currently works as a President & CEO at c ompanyName. Stephen's ethnicity is Caucasian, whose political affiliation is currently a registered Republican Party; and religious views are listed as Christian. As of this date, Stephen is widowed and has 3 kids. Stephen's net worth hovers over Greater than $1M with a yearly income that's about $250K+.  

Edited September 28, 2022 by Jollygoodfellow
Removed links to family member's. Lucky I did not just delete post

[Mike J]

2 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

With this new information, I would say mule is probably likely.  Perhaps even unknown to him.  E.g., 'Can you take this package to my brother in Manila?".  Still strange that "foreign sources" are the reason he was caught.

Offiicials from one of the countries involved knew he was carrying drugs.  When that happens governments will often alert airport/police officials to allow the drugs to move to on to the final destination.  The goal being to get the big fish at both ends of the pipe line.  I think the Philippines may have jumped the gun at the airport.   A better secnario would have been to follow the guy to see who/where it was to be delivered.   

[Mike J]

4 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Seems unlikely that he was knowingly smuggling drugs.

Maybe?  Hard to say if he was naive or dumb and greedy?  The syndicates like to prey on the elderly who want/need more money in their retirement years.    

4 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

He is screwed now.

That is for sure.

[OnMyWay]

22 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Maybe?  Hard to say if he was naive or dumb and greedy?  The syndicates like to prey on the elderly who want/need more money in their retirement years.

It appears that he is well off and unlikely to need to obtain money in this way.  No way to tell for sure.  He was involved in the gambling industry, and things can go bad for people involved in gambling.

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

It appears that he is well off and unlikely to need to obtain money in this way.  No way to tell for sure.  He was involved in the gambling industry, and things can go bad for people involved in gambling.

Have you considered the possibility that he is well off due to his illegal activities?  And greed is a great motivator.

 

[OnMyWay]

57 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Have you considered the possibility that he is well off due to his illegal activities?  And greed is a great motivator.

 

Anything is possible but it seems hard to believe a 75 year old guy would still being doing that.