Government agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have seized a balikbayan box reportedly containing kush worth P16.8 million smuggled from the United States.
The operation conducted by a composite team from the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group also resulted in the arrest of the shipment’s consignee in Antipolo City.
Importation documents showed that the shipment, which arrived at the Peoples Air Cargo (Paircargo) Warehouse in Pasay City, was declared as personal effects from California.
However, examinations revealed that the package contained 12,000 grams of kush or high-grade dried marijuana leaves.
Under Philippine laws, kush is considered a dangerous drug.
The investigators declined to give the name of the consignee. But they said the suspect has been placed under PDEA custody and will be charged with violation of RA 9165 and RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization Act (CMTA).
The same team recently intercepted three parcels of smuggled cannabis, ecstasy and shabu worth more than P2.4 million.
The simultaneous operations were conducted at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC), Paircargo, and DHL Warehouse, also in Pasay City.
Customs examiners made physical examination of the parcels and verified the presence of six plastic pouches of candies and one vape cartridge containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), 1.020 kilos of ecstasy, and 106.46 grams of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride).
The shipments originated from the United States, France, and Pakistan and were shipped to consignees residing in Negros Occidental, Makati City, and Camarines Sur.