Veloso’s recruiter used ‘tuko’ in drug smuggling activities, says NBI

Mary Jane Veloso's alleged recruiter has resorted to using "tuko" or gecko in her drug smuggling racket after her recruitment activities drew attention in their community in Nueva Ecija, a TV report said Monday.

In his live report on QRT, GMA News' Emil Sumanguil quoted the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as saying that Ma. Cristina Sergio's neighbors in Cabanatuan have given statements on how they saw her suddenly buying geckos in 2011 after Veloso was jailed for drug charges in Indonesia.

The NBI discovered from the browser history of her neighbor's computers that Sergio had visited websites on how to cut open a gecko and insert illegal drugs in it.

It added that Sergio was able to close deals with this modus, but authorities said they will have to gather more evidence on the new information on the case.

Meanwhile, the property developer firms that Sergio claimed she was working for had denied that she was working as a property consultant for them, which she said was the reason for her frequent travels abroad, the QRT report said.

It added that flight records from the Bureau of Immigration also do not match Sergio's statements.

Earlier, the NBI and the Philippine National Police said Sergio had already admitted to authorities that she has been a member of a notorious West African drug syndicate operating in Southeast Asia as early as 2010.

Her lawyer from the Public Attorney's Office has denied this.

Veloso was sentenced to die via firing squad in Indonesia for drug smuggling, but her execution was put on hold on the last minute following the Philippine government's request.

The Philippine government wants Veloso to help in the investigation against Sergio. –Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA News

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