Government agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have intercepted a shipment containing shabu worth more than P67 million.
The operation conducted by a composite team from the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group also resulted in the arrest of the shipment’s claimant.
The package, falsely declared as “bearing,” originated from Mozambique, Southeastern Africa via Hong Kong through Ethiopian Airlines flight number ET644.
Customs personnel placed the shipment under rigorous profiling, X-ray screening, and physical examination which led to the discovery of 9,898 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P67,306,400.
“The public is warned to be more aware of the variations of the love scam, where smugglers of illegal drugs use their Filipino partners to serve as couriers. Our laws are very clear that whoever is identified as the owner of the shipment remains under the pain of imprisonment if found to be in violation of the rules,” said Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.
The authorities refused to reveal the name of the female claimant or the consignee. They said she would be prosecuted for violation of Republic Act 9165 the Anti-Illegal Drugs Act, and RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
“I commend the (NAIA) Port, under the leadership of district collector Yasmin Mapa, and our partner agencies in their unwavering commitment to put an end to the proliferation of dangerous drugs in the country,” Rubio said.