COFFEE equipment and cleaning powder turned out to be cover for nearly 20 kilos of ketamine worth P99.4 million in the latest drug-smuggling attempt foiled by Customs authorities at the Clark International Airport.
The two shipments, containing a combined 19.89 kilograms of ketamine valued at P99.445 million, originated from Switzerland and Amsterdam and were bound for recipients in Mandaluyong City and Montalban, Rizal, respectively.
The BOC-Port of Clark, working with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), intercepted the shipments after intelligence from the PDEA Airport Interdiction Unit.
One shipment, weighing 9,882 grams, was declared as roasted coffee beans, a coffee machine, and coffee-making equipment. The other, weighing 10,007 grams, was misdeclared as sodium bicarbonate cleaning powder.
Both shipments were subjected to physical examination after authorities flagged them for inspection.
Laboratory tests subsequently confirmed that the seized substances were ketamine, a dangerous drug regulated under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended.
The latest seizure adds to a growing list of drug-smuggling attempts foiled at the Port of Clark, where authorities have repeatedly uncovered ketamine concealed in seemingly ordinary commercial goods and household items.
In October alone, Customs intercepted another shipment containing 4.14 kilograms of suspected ketamine worth P20.7 million from Amsterdam, disguised as a compact ceramic fan and bound for Valenzuela City.
Authorities seized the shipment after X-ray screening detected suspicious images.
In August, authorities also intercepted 1.675 kilograms of ketamine worth P8.375 million concealed inside a resin rabbit figurine shipped from France.
Earlier, in March, Customs seized 6.156 kilograms of ketamine worth P30.78 million concealed in a shipment declared as solar cables from the Netherlands.
The drugs were discovered following X-ray inspection and a PDEA K-9 examination.
In 2025, the Port of Clark likewise intercepted 5.062 kilograms of ketamine worth P25.31 million hidden inside a wooden cable reel declared as a data cable roll and shipped from Belgium.
The recurring seizures highlight how drug smugglers exploit international parcel and air cargo services, using ordinary merchandise and misleading declarations to evade customs inspection.
District Collector Jairus Reyes said the Port of Clark would further tighten its inspection measures in anticipation of increased parcel volumes during the holiday season.
“We expect an increase in parcels arriving through air express carriers. Thus, we will intensify document checks and physical inspections, while ensuring that our X-ray machines are properly maintained and operational,” Reyes said.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, meanwhile, vowed to sustain the agency's campaign against illegal drugs in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“As we expect an increase in shipments this holiday season, we will also tighten our vigilance. We will continue strengthening our inspections and operations to ensure that illegal drugs do not enter the country,” Nepomuceno said.
The BOC said it would continue intelligence-driven operations and strengthen coordination with law enforcement agencies to prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs through the country's ports of entry.
