Bureau of Customs (BOC) agents seized more than five kilos of poppy pods worth millions of pesos and arrested its claimant at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.
In a statement, the BOC said the seizure is part of the agency’s strengthened anti-illegal drug campaign, in coordination with other law enforcement agencies.
The illegal drugs were discovered after the BOC conducted an intensive regular X-ray screening at the CMEC warehouse, and found the parcel declared as “prepared food of cereal corn flakes” which came from Murcia, Spain.
A Customs examiner conducted a physical examination in the presence of the claimant, representatives from XIP, Customs Anti-illegal Drug Task Force, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, Enforcement and Security Service, and PDEA.
“After the physical examination, the subject parcel yielded more or less 5.05 kilos of poppy pods with seeds, a precursor of opium,” the BOC said. Vito Barcelo
The PDEA conducted a test on the seized narcotics which turned out to be positive for the presence of Opium, a dangerous drug and a prohibited importation.
The claimant, whose identity was withheld pending investigation, was brought to police and will face illegal drug possession for violation of the Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
“We commend the vigilance of BOC-NAIA and our inter-agency partners in intercepting this illegal shipment. This is a testament to our unified efforts in safeguarding our borders and protecting our people from the harmful effects of illegal drugs,” according to Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.