Authorities intercepted 5.265 kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated worth of P35,802,000 allegedly smuggled into the country by a South African woman at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently.

The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVESGROUP) said the 35-year-old suspect arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 via Etihad Airways Flight EY424 from Abu Dhabi at about 4:25 p.m.

Customs officers flagged her luggage for additional inspection after noticing suspicious images on an X-ray scan.

A narcotics detection dog from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reacted positively to the bag, prompting a manual inspection that led to the discovery of the drugs hidden inside a transparent plastic bag, authorities said.