Government agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have seized a smuggled shipment of shabu worth more than P79.9 million at a Customs bonded warehouse in Pasay City.
The operation conducted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of NAIA, X-Ray Inspection Project (XIP), and the bureau’s Intelligence and Enforcement services last Friday at Peoples Air Cargo (Paircargo) warehouse also resulted in the arrest of the shipment’s consignee identified as Anie Rose Sarvano of Eastern Samar.
The shipment arrived on March 7 and was declared as “Terry Towels” shipped by AIMEX General Trading from Punjab, Pakistan. Customs personnel led by SA1 Jackielyn Manapat placed the shipment under x-ray examination the next day.
“During the conduct of regular X-ray screening at Paircargo, it was marked X and tagged ‘for verification’ by the XIP Inspector due to irregular and suspicious X-ray image,” the XIP stated in its report.
On March 10, Customs examiner Jones Rose conducted physical examination witnessed by Inspector Manapat, and representatives from NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Joel E. Zurbano
“The X marked shipment was found to contain four pieces of Puffer jackets. Stitched and concealed inside the lining of each jacket were white crystalline substances. Field test by the PDEA resulted to positive presence of methamphetamine, weighing a total of 11.756kgs with an estimated street value of P79,940,800,” the XIP report further stated.
The arrested consignee is now in the custody of PDEA and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 and RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization Act (CMTA).
The Port of NAIA, under the leadership of Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, remains committed in protecting the country against entry of illegal goods and will further intensify vigilance and dedication to
prevent smuggling attempts in the borders, aligned with the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.