Customs agents intercepted a shipment of shabu worth more than P55 million at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday.
The operation initiated by the bureau’s X-Ray Inspection Project (XIP) also resulted in the arrest of a Liberian national who arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 via Qatar Airlines flight QR934.
The suspect was identified as Philip C. Campbell with Passport No. PP0074420.
Customs XIP personnel said the suspect came from Doha to Manila but his port of origin was Lagos, Nigeria. The foreigner brought two black baggage loaded with 8.1 kilos of shabu.
“We saw suspicious X-ray images, prompting us to put an X mark on the baggage for physical examination. In the presence of the passenger, both bags were found to contain balled-up white crystalline substances concealed inside packs of spices (of different varieties) and packs of dried small shrimps,” the Customs statement said.
A field test conducted by a task force from NAIA and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency confirmed that the content was ‘methamphetamine, weighing 8.138 kilograms with an estimated street value of P55,338,400.
The suspect is now in detention while the illegal drugs were turned over to PDEA for proper disposition.
The foreigner will be charged with violating Republic Act No. 9165, the Comprehensive Drug Act, and RA 10863, the Customs Modernization And Tariff Act (CMTA) before the Pasay City Prosecutors’ Office.
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.
Customs bureau officials said their campaign against the drug trade is in full support of Commissioner Bien Rubio’s border control initiatives.