THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) reported that P111.11 million worth “shabu” was seized at the Manila airport recently.
The shipment, which came from Mexico, contained illegal drugs concealed in wax and hidden in five hand-made cultural craft paintings. The package weighed 16.34 kilograms.
The illegal drugs were found in a Sept. 26 joint operation conducted by the BoC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.
The confiscated drugs have been turned over to PDEA for further investigation.
“The BoC remains relentless in its fight against illegal drugs and shall further heighten its border control measures to adopt to the new methods of smuggling,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said.
In June, the BoC-NAIA also intercepted an outbound shipment of P1.41 million worth of crystal meth concealed and misdeclared as kitchen wall stickers.
The Customs bureau said it has seized P2.28 billion worth of illegal drugs through 80 operations in the first half of the year, according to its midyear report. Shabu was the most seized drug, with a total value of P1.24 billion. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
