Two passengers from Canada were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 for carrying suspected shabu, the Philippine National Police - Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) said on Tuesday.

The first suspect, a 25-year-old Filipino male passenger, arrived from Toronto, Canada, with a connecting flight from Hong Kong on Monday.

The PNP-AVSEGROUP said his luggage raised suspicion during an x-ray screening conducted by the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), prompting a manual inspection.

Authorities found five transparent plastic bags wrapped in foil and duct tape containing a white crystalline substance believed to be illegal drugs.

A narcotics detection dog from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) later confirmed the presence of illegal drugs. The substance weighed 20,554 grams and was valued at approximately P139.76 million.

In the afternoon of the same day, a second passenger identified as a female Canadian national was also intercepted after routine screening flagged her baggage. A similar crystalline substance was found in her luggage.

The suspected drugs weighed about 24,231 grams with an estimated value of P164.77 million.

Both passengers remain in the custody of the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group pending legal proceedings.