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The Bureau of Customs seized P42 million worth of shabu (crystal meth) on October 12 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3
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Authorities arrested a South African national after discovering 6,200 grams of shabu concealed in his luggage
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The suspect will face raps for violating the anti-drugs law and the seized drugs will be turned over to local drug enforcement agency for examination
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P42 million worth of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) on October 12 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
A 31-year-old South African national was apprehended by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group after discovery of 6,200 grams of shabu in his luggage.
The BOC also confiscated his personal items, including clothes, a passport, a phone, and a vaccination certificate.
The arrested foreigner faces charges of violating Section 4, Article 2 under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act No. 9165). The seized drugs will be submitted to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for further examination.
On September 26, the BOC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport also intercepted P111.11 million worth of shabu at the DHL cargo warehouse in Pasay.
READ: BOC-NAIA seizes P111M worth of shabu concealed in paintings
The illegal drugs were hidden in five handmade paintings. They weighed 16.34 kilograms and originated from Mexico. BOC noted the incident highlights a new drug smuggling technique, where meth was concealed in wax to avoid detection.
Despite the discovery, no arrests were made during the shipment’s inspection.
According to BOC’s mid-year 2024 accomplishment report, the agency seized illegal drugs through 80 operations, 37 of which yielded marijuana worth an estimated P934 million. Shabu was the top in terms of value at P1.239 billion.
