P10.696M drugs uncovered inside wedding dress box in Clark

Authorities seized some P10.696-million worth of suspected shabu hidden inside cardboard sidewalls of a wedding-dress carton from Mexico City during a law enforcement operation in the Port of Clark.

In a social media post on 9 September 2026, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Clark, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Clark Inter-Agency Task Force Against Illegal Drugs intercepted the said 1.573 kilograms of shabu.

According to the BOC, these contrabands were shipped from Mexico City and were en route to Mandaluyong City.

Acting on derogatory information received by authorities, the shipment, declared as “Wedding Dress,” underwent X-ray scanning by the BOC’s X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), which revealed suspicious images and prompted a full physical examination.

During the examination, the assigned Customs Examiner initially inspected the white wedding dress, including its ruffles, but found no contraband concealed in the garment. Guided by the X-ray images and the unusual weight of the carton, the examiner further inspected the packaging itself.

Upon dismantling the carton, authorities discovered four transparent plastic pouches concealed within the cardboard sidewalls of the box, containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu.”

The substance weighed approximately 1,573 grams, with an estimated standard drug value of P10,696,400.00. Initial screening using a spectrometer indicated the presence of methamphetamine.

Samples of the white crystalline substance were subsequently turned over to PDEA Clark for laboratory analysis and confirmatory testing.

Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno emphasized the importance of remaining thorough despite increasingly sophisticated concealment methods. “Mas nagiging madiskarte ang mga smugglers at minsan, sa unang tingin, parang walang kahina-hinala sa shipment. Kaya hindi tayo puwede maging kumpyansa—our Customs officers must remain sharp, thorough, and ready to check beyond what is immediately visible,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.

District Collector Jairus S. Reyes reaffirmed the Port’s commitment to strengthening its profiling and examination capabilities alongside its partner law enforcement agencies. The operation supports the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify the government’s campaign against illegal drugs and strengthen the protection of the country’s borders and Filipino communities.

A Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) was issued against the shipment for violations of Section 1113(l)(3), (4), and (5) of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), in relation to Republic Act No. 9165, as amended.

The Bureau of Customs remains committed to securing the nation’s borders and protecting the Filipino people from the harmful effects of illegal drugs.