An estimated P14.9 million worth of suspected marijuana kush was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, the Philippine National Police–Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) reported Sunday.
According to AVSEGROUP, the contraband was found in an unclaimed green luggage at the arrival area on Friday and was traced to a female foreign passenger who arrived from Bangkok and was scheduled for a connecting flight to Macau.
A Bureau of Customs (BOC) x-ray operator flagged the luggage after spotting a suspicious image during routine screening. A Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) K9 team later confirmed the presence of an illegal substance before Customs personnel opened the luggage, which contained 18 pouches with 9.94 kilos of the suspected marijuana kush.
Investigators said the passenger had already boarded her flight to Macau at 7:16 p.m., evading arrest. The seized items were inventoried by PDEA and will be turned over to its national office.