P40.8M SHABU IN WOODEN BOOKS SEIZED AT NAIA

OPERATIVES of the Bureau of Customs – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA), in close coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), arrested a passenger and seized some P40.8 million worth of shabu at the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

Upon arrival, the passenger’s carry-on baggage was subjected to X-ray screening and referred for 100% physical inspection.

A K9 sweep yielded a positive indication for illegal drugs, and further examination confirmed that the white crystalline substance concealed inside improvised wooden books, wrapped in plastic and carbon paper, tested positive for methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu.

The seized substance weighed approximately 6,000 grams, with an estimated standard value of ₱40,800,000.

BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno emphasized the agency’s intensified border control efforts, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen enforcement and safeguard communities from illegal drugs.

“This interception underscores our strict profiling and risk assessment measures at the border. We will continue to tighten our controls to ensure that illegal drugs are stopped before they can enter the country,” Nepomuceno said.

The seized items and the arrested passenger were turned over to PDEA for proper custody and further investigation.

Charges for violations of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended) and Republic Act No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act) were filed against the suspect.