Three plastic packs of high-grade marijuana, weighing an estimated 980 grams and worth P1.1 million and concealed in coffee packs imported from the US, were seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Clark, Pampanga.
The shipment from California arrived on September 8, 2020 and was declared as “coffee, t-shirt, bookbag.”
When profiling and non-intrusive examination revealed suspicious x-ray images, a physical examination was conducted which confirmed that the shipment contained three t-shirts, one book, and three packs of coffee beans.
The customs examiner also noticed an unusual sweet aroma coming from the sealed packs of coffee. When opened, the three packs revealed dried leaves suspected to be kush or high-grade marijuana.
The shipment was then subjected to K-9 sniffing, and samples taken for laboratory testing and chemical analysis, which confirmed the presence of marijuana, a dangerous drug under Republic Act (RA) No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
A warrant of seizure and detention was issued by BOC-Clark district collector Atty. Ruby Alameda against the shipment for violation of relevant provisions of RA No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in relation to RA 9165. The illegal drug was immediately turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for disposition.
This is BOC-Clark’s 19th shipment of drugs, to date, seized as part of its mandate to protect borders from illegal drugs.
