(UPDATE) A FOREIGN traveler was apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Friday after authorities discovered approximately 8 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, hidden within hollowed-out Bibles.
Valued at approximately P55,386,000, the shipment was intercepted upon the arrival of the passenger, identified as “Peter,” on a connecting flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to Port of NAIA district collector Yasmin Mapa, the 77-year-old German’s belongings were flagged during routine nonintrusive baggage screening. Bureau of Customs (BOC) operatives grew suspicious after noticing unusual densities within the religious texts.
The books containing the white crystalline substance, wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and duct tape, were found concealed in a false compartment in the baggage lining.
The illegal items, weighing a total of 8,145 grams, were further detected by a K9 unit, and subsequent field-testing yielded positive results for shabu.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the seizure resulted from the sustained enforcement and tightened controls achieved through technology, intelligence and interagency coordination.
The operation was conducted jointly by BOC-NAIA, the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force, the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
The BOC-NAIA chief underscored the critical role of technology in frontline enforcement, emphasizing that the successful interception demonstrated the “effectiveness of the XIP (X-ray Inspection Project) and the bureau’s layered examination process in detecting concealed contraband and enabling prompt enforcement action.”
