AUTHORITIES identified 11 individuals, including a female police officer, involved in the P3.54 billion illegal drug shipment intercepted in Laos before it could be transported to the Philippines.
In a press conference Fridaym October 16, 2026, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said former Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament member Edrieza Nasser Rimbang financed the illegal drug smuggling operation.
“Sultan Edriaza Rimbang is believed to be the financier of the entire operation. He is married to Princess Rohaniah Rimbang, who is the sister of the wife of Fahad,” Remulla said.
Remulla said Rimbang’s brother-in-law, Fahad Mulok Dibarosan, was the Filipino national arrested in Laos on October 1, 2026, after Laotian authorities found illegal drugs in the suitcases he was supposed to bring to the Philippines.
Rioklyn “Boyet” Toledo, a pilot, procured the charter flight from Malaysia to Laos and then to the Philippines.
“Toledo is a licensed pilot formerly of a major airline but had a reputation for drug dealing that's why he was fired,” Remulla said.
Toledo contracted Police Executive Master Sergeant Aileen Mendoza to arrange a private hangar where the aircraft carrying the illegal drug shipment was supposed to land.
Remulla said Abdulahkarim Macalatas was the named consignee of the shipment.
Other individuals identified as part of the operation were Abdullah Rimbang Macarimbang, Alden Nadal Samante, Rudy Isidro, Christian Fabrigas and Hilario De Vera.
“This leads to the entire web of how it was supposed to be done. It leads us to several questions. Number one, why did they attempt to bring it through Manila International Airport General Aviation? Obviously, after this much discussion with the aviation command and General [Jose Melencio Nartatez], we have loose ends to tie up,” Remulla said.
“And to make more stringent inspections of all cargoes arriving through private aircraft, so we are not accusing anyone of having done that before. But for them to attempt it, para sila para subukan nila na gawin sa isang private hangar, ibig sabihin na nagiging modus operandi nila,” he added.
Remulla said of the 11 individuals identified as being involved in the illegal drug shipment, only Fahad was detained, and he remained in custody in Laos.
Nartatez, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Mendoza, who was assigned to the PNP Aviation Security Group, had been relieved of her post and was under restrictive custody amid the investigation.
“First of all, about warrants of arrest, of course, we checked all of this, they are not wanted persons. And of course, they have other cases before, like for example, the former pilot of an airline company, he was removed. They don't have pending warrants of arrest or unserved warrants,” the top cop said.
Remulla appealed to Congress to craft a law that would classify narco-traffickers as terrorist organizations.
“What we need to do is because as of now the only charge that we can bring is conspiracy kasi walang actual transaction na nangyari but we found the trail kung sino talaga ang involved so we are asking Congress now to pass a law to label narco traffickers as a terrorist organization,” Remulla said.
“In that way, kung gawin nilang label terrorist organizations sa mga narco-organizations, law enforcement agencies all around the world will cooperate with us in an easier way if they are counted as terrorists,” he added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)