By Brian Campued
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday apprehended a foreign passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 carrying suspected “shabu” stashed in Bible books.
In a statement Saturday, the BOC said the German national—who arrived on a connecting flight from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia—was flagged after an X-ray inspection detected irregular images during routine non-intrusive baggage screening.
Customs examiners then discovered “white crystalline substances concealed in a false compartment in the baggage lining and hidden inside two hollowed-out Bible books, wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and duct tape.”
A K9 sweep and field testing on the substances yielded positive indications for shabu, weighing approximately 8,145 grams and valued at P55.38 million.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno underscored the agency’s sustained enforcement posture across all ports of entry in the Philippines, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify government efforts against smuggling and illegal drugs.
“We are tightening our controls through technology, intelligence, and inter-agency coordination. Our message is clear—attempts to bring illegal drugs into the country will be detected, intercepted, and prosecuted,” Nepomuceno said.
The passenger and seized items have been turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for investigation and inquest proceedings for violations of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) and Republic Act No. 10863 (Philippine Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).
-jpv
