MANILA — Bureau of Customs (BOC) agents have arrested an alleged smuggler of marijuana oil, valued at PHP360,000, at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.
In a statement Thursday, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said they have arrested Beau Aldrich D. Siquian, 24, who declared his address as 302 Sto. Rosario St. Brgy. Plainview, Mandaluyong City.
Siquian presented a valid Philippine passport when he claimed the oil, which was contained in two pouches, on Wednesday.
According to reports from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), one pouch belonged to a certain Gian Carlo Santos of Baguio City.
The package, which arrived Monday, came from a Jonjon L. Pulido of 22327 #01 Moneta Ave. Carson, California. Pulido declared the contents as electrical pen set/ink wax with a declared value of USD300.
“It is protocol to subject all packages to 100 percent physical examination with the presence of the claimants. The customs examiner in charge found items as declared. However, the pungent odor of the items prompted the examiner to conduct further verification,” Lapena said in a statement.
The matter was referred to the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Taskforce and the NAIA-Interagency Drug Interdiction Task Group for K-9 examination and field-testing, which turned out to be positive for cannabis.
The suspect and the seized drugs have been turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for further investigation.
Also present during the inspection were agents of the X-ray Inspection Project, Enforcement and Security Service-NAIA.
“These drug pushers are exhausting all means to smuggle illegal drugs in the country. They even send drugs through couriers,” he said.
Lapena said he has directed BOC-NAIA to examine all suspicious packages and be strict in document checking.
“There will be more apprehensions by the Bureau of Customs as we are implementing stricter border security,” he added. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
