Around 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, 9 January, at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, a newly arrived passenger was apprehended during an operation conducted by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG).  

The operation, held at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Exclusion Room in the International Arrival Area of NAIA Terminal 3, was initiated after the BOC duty x-ray inspector noticed a suspicious substance inside the passenger's luggage.  

To confirm suspicions, the luggage underwent a K9 inspection, which indicated the presence of dangerous drugs. Upon a thorough search of her belongings, officials discovered a powdery substance later identified as cocaine.  

During the operation, authorities arrested the 29-year-old Filipina and seized two bags containing a total of 4,574 grams of cocaine with a street value of P24,242,200.  

Based on flight information, the suspect had traveled from Sierra Leone, West Africa, to Manila via Ethiopian Airlines, with a connecting flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Manila.  

In addition to the cocaine, authorities confiscated the suspect’s identification cards, cell phones, and travel documents.

The arrested suspect will face charges for violating Section 4, Article II of RA 9165, which pertains to the importation of dangerous drugs. The penalty for this violation is life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million.