OPERATIVES of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested an arriving Filipino passenger from Canada at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City last Sunday afternoon for smuggling 20.5 kilos of shabu worth P139.76 million.
The suspect, identified only as alias Chris, is facing charges for violation of Section 4 (importation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals), Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Chris was nabbed in an interdiction operation at the Customs International Arrival Area of NAIA Terminal 3 at 12:06 p.m. in collaboration with Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, PNP, NAIA and NBI personnel.
PDEA said the operation was conducted after it received intelligence information about the drug smuggling.
“Authorities inspected a blue suitcase that arrived on a flight from Toronto, Canada, with a layover in Hong Kong,” PDEA said in a statement.
“Inside, they found five plastic bags wrapped in foil and duct tape, each filled with white crystalline substances hidden among personal belongings. The suspected shabu weighed a total of about 20,554 grams (20.5 kilos),” added PDEA.
Also recovered from the suspects’ possession were a Philippine passport, two airline boarding passes, a mobile phone, and a national identification card.
“This successful interdiction highlights the strong commitment of PDEA and partner agencies to protect the country’s ports and borders from drug smuggling,” PDEA said.
“The operation reflects the government’s broader strategy to intensify interdiction efforts and stop illegal drugs from entering our communities,” it added.
Police seized P170,000 worth of suspected dangerous drugs and nabbed a 53-year-old man in a buy-bust operation in Antipolo City last Sunday night.
Col. Feloteo A. Gonzalgo, Rizal PPO director, identified the suspect as alias JR, a resident of Barangay Sta. Cruz, Antipolo City.
Seized from him were seven sachets containing more or less 25 grams of suspected shabu. – With Christian Oineza
