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The Bureau of Customs – Ninoy Aquino International Airport seized over 44 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, worth more than P304 million
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The illegal drugs were seized during two separate operations at NAIA Terminal 3 on July 14, 2025 involving two targeted passengers arriving from Hong Kong on separate flights
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The two suspects were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for further investigation and inquest proceedings
The Bureau of Customs – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) seized over 44 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, worth more than P304 million in two separate interdiction operations at NAIA Terminal 3 on July 14, 2025.
The operations targeted two passengers arriving from Hong Kong on separate flights, who were apprehended after BOC’s X-ray Inspection Project personnel detected suspicious images in their checked-in luggage during routine screening, the customs bureau said in a statement.
In the first interdiction, the passenger disclaimed ownership of the flagged luggage, which, upon a K-9 sweep and field test, was confirmed to contain illegal drugs. A physical inspection uncovered 20,555 grams of shabu concealed in a hidden compartment, valued at approximately P139.7 million.
Later that day, a second passenger was intercepted after a K-9 sweep and physical examination of her luggage revealed 24,231 grams of suspected shabu, estimated at P164.77 million.
The two suspects were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for further investigation and inquest proceedings, while the seized drugs were submitted to the PDEA Laboratory Service for chemical analysis. The operations were carried out in close coordination with the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group and PDEA.
“We remain steadfast in securing our borders against the entry of illegal drugs. These successful interdictions in a single day demonstrate the Bureau’s unwavering resolve to support the President’s call for good governance, public safety, and the protection of our airports from criminal exploitation,” Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said.
For her part, BOC-NAIA district collector Alexandra Lumontad said the recent seizure “underscore our firm commitment to keeping our airports drug-free and safeguarding the Filipino people from the menace of illegal drugs.”
