Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport collector Carmelita Talusan on Wednesday said the bureau’s personnel remains vigilant against the entry of prohibited drugs and other contraband at the airport.
Talusan made the assurance amid reports that international drug syndicates are operating in the country in cahoots with government officials, making it easy for them to smuggle contraband and anti-social goods in the various seaports and airports.
“The Bureau of Customs is very much on board in the country’s war against drugs and we will exert our efforts to continue protecting our nation and prevent the use of our ports in the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country,” she said.
On Oct. 7, Customs agents arrested an Indonesian national who was caught in possession of eight kilograms of smuggled shabu worth P54 million from Cambodia.
The suspect was identified as Agnes Alexandra who arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 via Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 258 from Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Alexandra’s luggage was subjected to X-ray scanning which showed images of suspected drugs.
Customs examiners placed the luggage under 100-percent physical examination and discovered the crystalline substances wrapped in aluminum foil.
A field test was immediately made and the substance tested positive for methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.
Alexandra and the seized drugs were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for proper disposition and the filing of criminal charges against the suspect.
The suspect was later charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165) in relation to Sections 118 (Prohibited Importation), 1113 (Goods Liable for Seizure and Forfeiture) and 1401 (Unlawful Importation) of the Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
A similar shipment of shabu from Siem Reap, Cambodia was seized at Terminal 1 on September 28, 2019.
PDEA officials said methamphetamine hydrochloride, marijuana and party drug ecstasy are the top three narcotics distributed in the streets and these prohibited substances are manufactured by Chinese, Taiwanese and Mexican drug syndicates.
Talusan said the Customs bureau is closely coordinating with other law enforcement agencies like PDEA in its campaign against trafficking of prohibited drugs.
Just recently, Customs and PDEA agents intercepted shipments of illegal drugs worth P5.5 million at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City.
The authorities confiscated the parcel shipments containing 1,490 tablets of ecstasy, 3,320 tablets of valium and 1,850 grams of high grade kush weeds / marijuana described by the importers as “gifts, letters and snacks”.
The P2.3 million worth ecstasy tablets from Germany was declared as gift and the P2.9 million kush/marijuana from USA were declared as snacks (tortilla chips).
The consignees of the two parcels are from Cavite and San Juan City while the owner of kush/marijuana was apprehended and now in PDEA custody.
The shipment of P56,000 worth valium tablets are bound for export to 36 consignees in eight countries (USA, Australia, Abu Dhabi, Germany, Saudi Arabia, France, Sweden, Spain and the United Kingdom) and sent by four different shippers from Parañaque City and Bulacan.
Since August 30, 2017, Customs has also been very proactive and relentless in its effort to combat the smuggling of illegal drugs. The bureau was able to intercept an estimated P3.436 billion worth of illegal drugs and arrested a total of 23 drug personalities.