Government agents arrested a Thai tourist who was caught in possession of smuggled shabu worth P28 million early Monday morning at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Pakjira Janwong has just arrived from Bangkok on board Air Asia flight Z2288 when she was intercepted by Customs personnel at the NAIA Terminal 3.
Her luggage was subjected to X-ray machine scanning which showed images of suspected dangerous drugs, prompting the authorities to place it under 100 percent physical examination. The Customs men then discovered 4.125 kilos of shabu.
The Office of Customs-NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan turned over Janwong and the seized prohibited substance to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for custody and proper disposition.
The government has commended Customs agents assigned at the NAIA for having the most number of significant drug-related operational accomplishments in 2019.
Since January last year, Talusan’s men busted more than 40 cases of prohibited drugs—cocaine, shabu, marijuana, and ecstasy, mostly smuggled from the United States, China, and European countries.
Airport and Customs authorities were also able to arrest at least 15 foreigners for trying to smuggle cocaine and other prohibited drugs at the NAIA from 2018 to 2019.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration was the one who tipped off government agents in the Philippines about the arrival of foreigners, mostly drug mules, in Manila.
Authorities said a drug mule is a type of courier capable of swallowing balloons containing illicit drugs and then transport the illegal drugs across borders. Once they have reached their destination, these balloons are retrieved from the courier’s body.
They added that a drug mule can swallow up to 120 balloons and during their journey, they take medication to inhibit bowel movement. Once they have reached their destination, they are fed laxatives and the balloons pass through their bodies.