BoC intercepts shabu, kush, ketamine
CUSTOMS officials inspect 12 abandoned international parcels containing 15.036 kilograms of illegal drugs — including shabu, marijuana kush and ketamine — worth P89.16 million, seized during an operation in Pasay City.
Photograph courtesy of BOC
Customs authorities intercepted 15.03 kilograms of suspected illegal drugs valued at P89.16 million concealed inside 12 abandoned air cargo parcels in Pasay City, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) reported.
Personnel from the BoC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recovered the packages 6 November during routine inspections at a local cargo warehouse.
Officials traced the shipments back to Thailand, India, the United States and the Netherlands.
A physical examination revealed 11.24 kilograms of suspected shabu valued at P76.43 million; 1.56 kilograms of suspected high-grade marijuana, or kush, valued at P1.56 million and 2.23 kilograms of suspected ketamine valued at P11.16 million.
Smugglers attempted to conceal the narcotics inside clothing, food and tea packaging, a wooden container, a metal pulley, a handbag and an electric deep fryer.
The shipping manifests falsely declared the parcels as containing apparel, toys, household goods, vehicle parts and personal gifts.
BoC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno stated that border control personnel have expanded physical checks to include abandoned imports, noting that criminal networks frequently attempt to hide contraband inside everyday household items shipped from overseas.
BoC-NAIA executed the interdiction in coordination with the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The seized substances were turned over to the PDEA Laboratory Service for chemical analysis and verification. Law enforcement authorities are conducting follow-up investigations to identify the intended consignees and file criminal charges for drug trafficking.
Meantime, BoC-NAIA district collector Maria Yasmin Obillos-Mapa cited that the port will maintain heightened surveillance of inbound air shipments and work alongside partner agencies to intercept drug smuggling attempts through parcel networks.