Screeners intercept illegal drugs hidden in bag’s secret compartment

The Office for Transportation Security reported on Sunday that Security Screening Officers Lourdes Galang and Kaye Molina successfully intercepted the transit of illegal drugs at the Clark International Airport final security screening checkpoint and immediately turned them over to law enforcement agencies.

According to the OTS, SSO Galang saw suspicious images on the X-ray. She called the attention of SSO Molina, asking her to perform a physical luggage search and verify the contents of two bags—one black and one brown leather—that were thought to contain prohibited materials. SSO Molina had to rip the stitches off a hand-sewn section of the bag to reveal two parcels with white crystalline materials wrapped in aluminum foil that she suspected to be illicit drugs. The passengers were identified as Seonghae Lee and Eunhye Kwak, both Korean nationals, who were bound for Incheon, South Korea, via Jin Air Flight No. LJ030.

The duo immediately informed OTS Shift-in-Charge Mariel Delos Santos, who reported the incident to the law enforcement officer present at the airport. The latter subsequently took custody of the two suspects for further investigation. According to the initial report, the packages weigh approximately 2.92 kilograms.

OTS Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Jose Briones Jr. commended the security screening team at Clark International Airport, noting that while this is not the agency’s primary mandate, their vigilance has contributed to the government’s campaign against the proliferation and smuggling of illegal drugs through our transportation facilities.

“The successful interception of these contrabands is truly commendable. Hindi man ito ang pangunahin nating mandato, it shows na ‘yung vigilance ng ating OTS personnel resulted in the protection of our transportation facilities from becoming a venue for illegal activities and other acts of unlawful interference,” Briones said.