BoC intercepts Canadian parcel containing illegal drugs

Bureau of Customs (BoC) officers intercepted packages containing more than P199.7 million worth of suspected shabu and high-grade marijuana declared as personal effects at a warehouse here, officials announced Monday.

The shipment, consisting of 15 boxes originating from Canada, was flagged by the BoC X-ray Inspection Project after operators detected suspicious images during screening. The discovery prompted an alert order and a 100 percent physical examination of the cargo.

Customs inspectors found six boxes holding 28 cans with roughly 28,324 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, valued at P192.6 million.

Another box contained roughly 4,746 grams of suspected high-grade marijuana, known as kush, valued at P7.12 million.

Inspectors also recovered 20 towels and 20 duvets suspected to be saturated with liquid methamphetamine.

Samples sent to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for laboratory testing yielded positive results for methamphetamine hydrochloride and cannabis.

The operation was conducted jointly by PDEA, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force, the Enforcement and Security Service, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.

BoC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the interception highlights the importance of intelligence-driven profiling, advanced screening, and inter-agency coordination in stopping illegal narcotics at the border.

BoC-NAIA district collector Yasmin Mapa reiterated that the port remains vigilant in screening incoming shipments to prevent smuggling attempts through the country’s primary international gateway.