By Brian Jules Campued
An attempted shipment of about P7.507 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or locally known as “shabu” was uncovered by the officers of the Port of Clark in Pampanga last Jan. 3, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported.
The parcel, which came from Parañaque City and bound for New Zealand, was declared as a “shaft drive model” before it was noticed by X-ray Inspection Project personnel, according to a statement released by BOC Wednesday, Jan. 10.
“It immediately underwent K9 sniffing and physical examination, which resulted in the discovery of three packs of white crystalline substances weighing 1,104 grams concealed inside a shaft drive,” the bureau said.
The suspected items were confirmed to be “shabu” after being subjected to a chemical laboratory analysis by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria issued a seizure and detention warrant in violation of Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, in relation to R.A. No. 9165 which is the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
R.A. No. 9165 classified “shabu” as one of the dangerous drugs prohibited in the country along with cannabis or “marijuana”, “ecstasy”, opium, and opium poppy.
Austria lauded the Port of Clark personnel for preventing the exportation of the illegal drugs and likewise reminded the public that their office will continue to implement “stringent customs controls and vigilant law enforcement to combat illegal drug trafficking.” – cf