Airport authorities in Manila have intercepted two foreign nationals caught with P76 million worth of cocaine.
The suspects were Siti Aisha Binti Awang, 64, and Nur Alaviya Binti Hanafe, 39, both Singaporean nationals.
A composite team from the Bureau of Customs, NAIA – Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), and Aviation Security Unit arrested the suspects upon arrival at Terminal 3 around 1 a.m. Thursday.
The suspects, who arrived at the airport on board Qatar Airways Flight QR-928 from Doha, attempted to smuggle 364 cocaine pellets using four tin cans, two cylindrical containers, and a duffle bag.
Also confiscated from the suspects were identification cards, passports, boarding passes, baggage declaration forms, tags, and mobile phones.
Airport authorities have heightened vigilance in the campaign against illegal drug trafficking in a bid to discourage international drug syndicates from using the Philippines as a transshipment point for illegal substances.
According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and shabu are among the top narcotics being smuggled and distributed in the streets, and these prohibited substances are manufactured by Chinese, Taiwanese, and Mexican drug syndicates.
Customs officials said they will continue their vigilance against different modes of concealment of illegal drugs through enhanced and improved profiling techniques.
The campaign is in full support of Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio’s border control initiatives.