AUTHORITIES at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized a cache of suspected illegal drugs valued at more than P89 million concealed inside 12 abandoned parcels in an airport warehouse, officials said on Wednesday.
The seizure at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) complex took place on Friday, Nov. 6, following a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to intensify border surveillance against narcotics smuggling.
According to the BOC, the shipments originated from Thailand, India, the United States and the Netherlands.
A physical examination of the packages uncovered 11.241 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, locally known as shabu, with an estimated street value of P76.4 million.
Agents also found 1.563 kilograms of suspected high-grade marijuana, known as Kush, with an estimated value of P1.563 million, and 2.232 kilograms of suspected ketamine, amounting to P11,160,000.
Officials said that smugglers attempted to mask the contraband by concealing it inside clothing, food and tea packaging, wooden containers, a metal pulley, a handbag, and a deep fryer.
The cargo documents had falsely declared the contents as toys, household items, garments and vehicle parts.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno commended the BOC-NAIA for its thorough inspection of the shipments, noting that traffickers frequently use abandoned shipments to slip illicit substances into the country.
The operations were conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Group, and other law enforcement agencies.
Port of NAIA District Collector Yasmin Mapa said the seized substances have been turned over to the PDEA laboratory for chemical analysis.
Authorities said an investigation is underway to identify the shippers and intended recipients for potential criminal prosecution.
