The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have intercepted at the Port of Clark a shipment of than P25.3 million of Ketamine, a prohibited drug, concealed in a wooden cable reel declared as “Data Cable Roll.”
The shipment, weighing 5,062 grams came from Belgium aand was bound for San Rafael, Rizal.
The illegal shipment arrived on July 24 and was flagged for physical examination due to suspicions over its declaration.
A 19-kilogram wooden cable reel, suspiciously covered with spray foam, was found to contain six transparent plastic pouches of a white crystalline substance. Laboratory testing confirmed it to be Ketamine, classified as a dangerous drug under Republic Act No. 9165.
Customs district collector Jairus Reyes cited the vigilance and profiling expertise of the Customs frontliners at the Port of Clark.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized that the fight against illegal drugs remains a matter of national interest. “Smuggled narcotics pose a serious threat to public safety. Protecting Filipino lives remains at the heart of every operation we carry out, this seizure is no exception,” he said.
