Security personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Friday seized two pieces of live ammunitions from the luggage of a woman bound for Taipei.

The seizure of the ammunitions was a legitimate security operation and not another incident of Tanim-Bala, the infamous scheme of unscrupulous airport personnel to extort money from unsuspecting passengers by planting ammunition in their personal belongings.

Authorities identified the owner of the ammunition as Ms. Adekine Pauline, 61, US citizen and passenger of Eva Air flight BR278.

Anselmo Casaul Office for Transportation Security (OTS) x-ray examiner said they noticed the shape of a bullet when Pauline’s baggage went through initial check at X-Ray 5 at the NAIA 1 and he immediately informed his team leader Ma. Rhoda Locson and on-duty supervisor Raquel Akot about it.

A search conducted by OTS personnel Nicole Malazarte in the presence of Pauline confirmed that there are two pieces of live ammunition, one for cal. M16 and another a cal. 9 mm round, inside a pouch in the passenger’s blue trolley bag.

The OTS personnel endorsed Pauline to PO2 Dante Corpuz along with the confiscated bullets.

In his report, Corpuz said Pauline admitted owning the two live bullets but claimed they were only meant as a sort of amulet and that she forgot to remove the prohibited item when she prepared her luggage.

But unlike in similar incidents in 2015 when passengers caught with live bullets in their belongings were detained and charged, Pauline was allowed to board her flight to Taipei after confiscation of the ammunition and proper documentation.

Following the incident, the Manila International Airport Authority reiterated the warning to the public to desist from carrying live ammunition in their personal belongings, which is strictly prohibited, to avoid any inconvenience.