GOVERNMENT agents arrested a suspected Malaysian drug courier at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Tuesday as he tried to smuggle high-grade cocaine worth more than P10 million into the country, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.
The suspected drug mule, identified as Nasiruddin Bin Mohd Hasnan, was intercepted by Immigration intelligence agents and members of the Naia-Drug Interdiction Task Group at the airport arrival area.
Morente said Customs officials later seized from the Malaysian 216 pieces of high grade cocaine in pellet form weighing 4,617.5 grams in total.
The drug courier was caught following a tip from agents of the US Drug Enforcement Agency about the impending arrival of the suspect aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur, which originated from Addis Ababa and Togo.
Nasiruddin reportedly stayed in the Malaysian capital for 24 hours before proceeding to Manila.
Government agents tagged and monitored the courier as soon as he presented himself at the immigration counter and they later invited him to the Customs office for inspection.
“Subject did not have a checked-in luggage and the task group decided to allow a controlled delivery to determine who will pick up the subject at the airport. However, at 7:30 p.m., the task group decided to move in and arrest the subject when it became apparent that no one will pick him up as he hailed a taxi,” the Immigration bureau said.
“Examination of his carry-on luggage revealed the pellets of cocaine hidden amongst Lindt chocolates in a canister,” it added.
