MANILA, Philippines — An American passenger was arrested after the Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted about P17.46 million worth of marijuana kush allegedly concealed in his luggage at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said on Saturday that the foreigner, who arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, was caught on Oct. 29 by the bureau personnel in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG).
“He was said to be carrying two pieces of luggage containing food packages in which the suspected illegal drugs were hidden,” Nepomuceno said.
Reports showed that the contraband was discovered after the two checked-in luggage items showed suspicious images during X-ray screening.
Customs personnel immediately conducted a physical inspection after his luggage items were subjected to K9 inspection, during which the drug-sniffing dog gave a positive indication of the possible presence of illegal drugs.
The inspection yielded 15 vacuum-sealed packages of suspected marijuana kush hidden in food packets. Five packages weighing a total of 5,122 grams and valued at approximately P5.12 million were recovered from the first luggage, while 10 packages weighing 12,342 grams and worth P12.34 million were found in the second.
The American passenger was subsequently arrested for allegedly bringing prohibited drugs into the country, according to BOC.
Three days before the operation, the joint team also intercepted on Oct. 26 some 7,335 grams of suspected marijuana kush worth P7.33 million from unclaimed luggage at NAIA Terminal 3.
The luggage also came from Bangkok, Thailand, and the suspected illegal drugs were found concealed in aluminum food pouches and sealed transparent plastic bags.
In just four days, a total of 24.8 kilograms of suspected marijuana kush valued at P24.79 million were seized in two separate operations, according to BOC-NAIA District Collector Yasmin Obillos-Mapa.
The successive seizures were made possible by the strict vigilance of Customs personnel and swift coordination with partner agencies to strengthen security at the airport, Obillos-Mapa said.
Commending the BOC, PDEA, and NAIA-IADITG personnel for their swift and coordinated action, Nepomuceno stressed the importance of maintaining strict vigilance and coordination to prevent attempts to smuggle illegal drugs into the country.
