BOC-NAIA seizes P496.4M shabu hidden in machinery

The Bureau of Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport intercepted 73.002 kilograms of suspected shabu worth an estimated ₱496.413 million concealed inside industrial machinery shipped from Guadalajara, Mexico.

The shipment arrived in the Philippines on 26 September and was flagged following intelligence indicating the possible presence of illegal drugs.

An alert order was issued, leading to an examination of the shipment at a warehouse in Pasay City on 2 October.

Customs authorities detected suspicious images inside the tubular frames of a pelletizing machine during X-ray scanning.

A subsequent sweep by a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency K9 unit indicated the possible presence of illegal drugs, prompting a physical inspection.

Authorities recovered multiple packages containing a white crystalline substance from the machine’s tubular sections.

Field tests yielded positive results for methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, according to the BOC.

BOC-NAIA District Collector Maria Yasmin Obillos-Mapa said the operation showed the importance of intelligence, technology and coordination in detecting drugs concealed inside legitimate cargo.

“Every shipment that raises a red flag will be subjected to the necessary scrutiny,” Obillos-Mapa said.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the bureau would continue working with partner agencies to intercept illegal drug shipments.

“Smugglers may change their routes, methods, and concealment techniques, but our resolve remains the same,” Nepomuceno said.

The operation involved BOC-NAIA, PDEA, the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, Enforcement and Security Service, X-ray Inspection Project, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.