Airport interdiction efforts scored another breakthrough after authorities uncovered more than four kilograms of suspected shabu, with an estimated street value of over P27 million, concealed inside a traveler’s luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on 19 February, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Saturday.

PNP Chief P/Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the operation was carried out by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), which reinforced its presence at the country’s primary air gateway, leading to the arrest of an Australian national for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The operation, conducted from 5:56 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Customs Exclusion Room of the International Arrivals Area, began when a black backpack passed through the X-ray machine. A Customs X-ray inspector detected a suspicious image believed to indicate illegal substances and immediately alerted NAIA-IADITG authorities.

A subsequent K9 inspection by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed the presence of dangerous drugs after a narcotics detection dog alerted on the luggage. A thorough examination by the assigned seizing officer uncovered two improvised wooden boxes wrapped in colored paper hidden inside the backpack.

A field test using a Rigaku Raman spectrometer yielded positive results for Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu.

Authorities confiscated one black backpack containing approximately 4,008 grams of white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, with a standard drug price of P27,254,400. The foreign national and the seized evidence are now under the custody of the NAIA-IADITG Operations Center for documentation and proper disposition.

“This operation shows that our airport controls are active and uncompromising,” Nartatez said. “Hindi kami mag-aatubiling arestuhin ang sinumang lalabag sa batas at magtatangkang magpasok ng ilegal na droga sa ating bansa.”

He added: “The PNP will remain relentless in stopping drug trafficking at our borders. Ang bawat matagumpay na operasyon ay proteksyon sa ating mga pamilya at komunidad.”

The accomplishment highlights the PNP’s Focused Agenda, its guiding framework for institutional transformation designed to make police service more responsive and accountable. Among its key priorities is enhanced management of police operations, which strengthens interdiction measures, operational supervision, and intelligence support at vital entry points such as international airports.

The seizure underscores sustained vigilance against transnational drug networks seeking to exploit international travel routes.