Ferdinand Patinio | Philippine News Agency
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday, Dec. 26, reported the arrest of the consignee of over 8 kilograms of shabu worth P56 million in Cavite province.
In a statement, BOC-Clark District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria said a controlled delivery operation by BOC and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) personnel resulted in the arrest of a male claimant of the parcel on Dec. 19.
The shipment declared as “dry food” arrived on Dec. 17 from California in the United States, he added.
The shipment was the subject of derogatory information from PDEA and was subjected to rigorous x-ray screening and K9 sniffing, which both indicated the possible presence of illegal drugs.
The physical examination resulted in the discovery of eight brown heat-sealed plastic bags containing the substance.
This is the biggest narcotics apprehension recorded by the Port of Clark in 2023, Austria added.
The results of PDEA’s chemical laboratory analysis confirmed that the substance is methamphetamine hydrochloride, a dangerous drug under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, he said.
The operation was launched in coordination with the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF), X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS).
Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, meanwhile, said the operation shows that the BOC is firm in its efforts to protect the people against the harmful effects of the illegal drug trade in the country.