Government agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have intercepted in Pasay City four shipments loaded with smuggled party drug ecstasy and cannabis.
The first seizure made by Customs – NAIA operatives at the Central Mail Exchange Center involved a shipment orginated from Germany which contained 394 pieces of ecstasy tablets with an estimated market value of P669,800.
The second shipment came from the United States and loaded with 425 grams of cannabis and cannabis oils worth P247,200.
Two other shipments were intercepted at the warehouses of Federal Express and DHL and were also contained cannabis oils.
The owners or consignees will be held liable for technical smuggling for misdeclaring the content of the shipments as vitamins and vape cartridges.
Customs Port of NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan her team made the seizures with the help from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and members of the NAIA Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-DITG).
She said all shipments were turned over to PDEA for further investigation and profiling for violation of Republic Act 10863 also known as the Customs Modernisation and Tariff Act (CMTA) and R.A. 9165 also known as the Comprehensive Drug Act of the Philippines.
“Under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, BoC-NAIA continues to intensify efforts against the entry of illegal drugs into the country and protect the borders 24/7,” said Talusan.
Early this month, the authorities also intercepted at CMEC a package of cannabis in vape and gummy candies smuggled from Canada. They arrested the shipment’s claimant identified as Elvira Vicente.
PDEA officials reminded the public that cannabis, THC, or any derivatives in any form containing said substance are classified as a dangerous drug under Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the unauthorized importation, sale, possession, cultivation, and use thereof remain punishable under the law.
In December last year, Customs – NAIA also intercepted in CMEC P4.1 million worth shipments of party drug ecstasy smuggled from Germany and the Netherlands. The importers misdeclared the shipments as ‘switch panels’, a clear case of technical smuggling.
The Port of NAIA had a total of 30 drug busts for 2018; 31 seizure in 2019, and 43 in 2020 while more than 50 in 2021. Most of the seized drugs were, cannabis, shabu and ecstasy.