By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
A Legazpi City-bound parcel containing 3.9 kilogram of high-grade marijuana, more commonly known as “kush”, with street value amounting to P5.84 million was successfully seized by the officials from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) – Port of Clark. Said parcel originated from Thailand.
The interception of said parcel, which originated from Thailand, stemmed from BOC’s close coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in which the latter alerted the former to derogatory information about the shipment that arrived on March 26.
A K-9 sniff test was conducted, which revealed a positive indication for illegal drugs. This has prompted a full physical examination of the package in question, which yielded 32 self-sealing packs labeled as “Crispy Broccoli”.
Each pouch was found to contain fruiting tops suspected to be high-grade marijuana. Samples were taken and turned over to PDEA for chemical analysis, which confirmed the substance as marijuana, classified as a dangerous drug under R.A. No. 9165, as amended.
A Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued against the shipment for violating Section 118(g), Section 119(d), and Section 1113 paragraphs (f), (i), and (l) of R.A. No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), in relation to R.A. No. 9165.
This successful interception reflects the Port of Clark’s strong commitment to the marching orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who has prioritized the intensified campaign against illegal drugs to safeguard public health and national security.
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