South African national collared over P42.16-M shabu

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday reported its Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) has seized some P42.16 million worth of illegal drugs from a South African national in Pasay City.

PNP-DEG director BGen. Eleazar Matta said the foreigner was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City during law enforcement operations around 9:20 p.m. on Saturday.

The police operations were conducted with the operatives from the Intelligence Foreign and Liaison Division and officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Customs stationed at the NAIA Customs International Arrival Area of Terminal 3.

Matta said the operation resulted in the arrest of a 31-year-old male South African national, who was found with one black luggage containing one transparent plastic pouch wrapped with black duct tape and packaging tape.

Authorities found a pouch containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu -- with a total weight of about 6,200 grams and an estimated standard drug price of P42.16 million.

The suspected evidence was immediately submitted to PDEA Laboratory Service for analysis. It was also inventoried, marked, and photographed by the law enforcement authorities.