By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – Authorities led by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have apprehended two individuals linked to the smuggling of 11.04 kilograms of shabu with an estimated value of PHP75 million in Clark, Pampanga.
In a statement on Friday, Port of Clark District Collector Jairus Reyes reported that the illegal drugs worth PHP75,072,000 were concealed inside a shipment declared as “Industrial Water Chiller” originating from Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, and bound for Cainta, Rizal.
He said the parcel arrived on Aug. 26 and was immediately subjected to X-ray scanning and K-9 inspection after the Bureau received derogatory information from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Both inspections yielded positive results, prompting a full physical examination of the shipment.
Authorities uncovered one plastic cylinder wrapped in lead shield containing a white crystallized substance hidden inside the chiller unit. Laboratory testing confirmed it to be methamphetamine hydrochloride, a dangerous drug under Republic Act (RA) 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
A warrant of seizure and detention was issued by the BOC official against the subject shipment for violation of Section 118 (g), 119 (d), and 1113 par. f, I, and l (3 and 4) of R.A. No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to RA 9165, as amended.
On Aug. 30, an airport interdiction operation conducted by BOC-Clark, PDEA, and Clark International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Group (CRK-IADIG) resulted in the arrest of two male claimants, aged 52 and 54, who attempted to retrieve the parcel at the warehouse.
“The Port of Clark continues to be on high alert. Beyond seizures, our priority is to prevent these harmful substances from reaching our communities,” Reyes added.
The suspects are now under the custody of PDEA Central Luzon and will face appropriate charges under RA 9165.
On the other hand, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno noted that the apprehension is in line with the marching orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify the national campaign against illegal drugs.
“This operation sends a clear message that the Bureau of Customs will never let its guard down against illegal drugs,” he said. (PNA)
