A composite team from the Bureau of Customs, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport – Interagency Drug Interdiction Task Group, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has seized a smuggled shipment of shabu worth over P89 million in a controlled delivery operation in Las Pinas City.
The operation, conducted on Wednesday afternoon along Lotus Street, TS Cruz Subdivision in Almanza Dos also resulted in the arrest of the shipment’s claimant identified as Jolle Ann Cuer, 25.
The law enforcers staged the raid after Customs Port of NAIA examiners and personnel discovered that the shipment from Nigeria, declared as “snacks,” actually contained 13,175 grams of shabu.
The controlled delivery scheme is used when a consignment of illicit drugs is detected and allowed to proceed under the control and surveillance of law enforcement officers in order to secure evidence against the perpetrators of illicit drug trafficking.
This operation has been proved effective in identifying and prosecuting drug traffickers.
The seized parcel, based on import documents, was shipped by one Micheal Olanrewaju of 33 Wale Alomo Street, Ogba Yaya Abatan, Lagos State, Ogba, Nigeria.
“The subject parcel arrived in Port of NAIA declared as snacks from Nigeria. However, upon physical Customs examination, the parcel was discovered to contain 13,175 grams of white crystalline substance. Further PDEA laboratory testing revealed that the substance was methamphetamine hydrochloride,” a Customs NAIA agent said.
The claimant is now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Anti-illegal Drugs Law) and RA 10863 (Customs Modernization Act).