Customs assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have intercepted another shipment of the party drug ecstasy smuggled from Germany and the Netherlands.
Authorities seized a total of 2,437 tablets of ecstacy worth more than P4.1 million at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) and DHL warehouse in Pasay City.
District Collector Carmelita Talusan said the prohibited drugs were intercepted through the intensified profiling and examination conducted by Customs NAIA personnel with the help from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and NAIA – Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.
She said the importers misdeclared the shipments as “switch panels,” a clear case of technical smuggling. Talusan said the shipment consist of two letter posts and one parcel.
“The illegal drugs were discovered in secret spaces in between the box and envelopes. The said parcels originated from Germany the Netherlands and consigned to individuals addressed in Quezon City, Bulacan, and Las Pinas City,” she said.
The seized items were turned over to PDEA for further investigation.
The consignees, who the Customs did not identify, will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Drugs Act) as well as RA 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).
Talusan assured that unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of the holiday season rush will not succeed in their attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into the country.
Last week, airport authorities also seized a drug shipment worth more than P15 million.
The Port of NAIA had a total of 30 drug busts for 2018; 31 seizures in 2019, and 43 in 2020 while 57 for this year. Most of the seized drugs were shabu and ecstasy.
“Under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, BoC-NAIA continues to intensify efforts against the entry of illegal drugs into the the country and the protect the borders 24/7,” said Talusan.
