Customs foils drug imports
THE Bureau of Customs - Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOCNAIA) foiled two shipments of shabu on separate occasions at NAIA Terminal in Pasay City.
Commissioner Isidro Lapena said the two shipments weighing of 2,375.5 grams are estimated to be worth P11.87 million.
“One of the packages which contain 2,031 grams of shabu is consigned to 'Juey' Cuenca of Imus, Cavite and was intercepted on April 27. It was shipped by a certain Stephanie Morse.
“The other was seized on April 23 containing 344.50 grams of shabu and is consigned to Susano Trinidad of Cubao, Quezon City. The sender is a certain Audio Schit, Commissioner Lapena said.
The packages which came from California, USA were declared as medicine cabinet and pillow, respectively.
The shipments were uncovered based on the profiling of the CustomsNAIA examiner. The parcels underwent x-ray examination, K9 sweeping, field test using a chemical identifier and reagent which all indicated the presence of illegal drugs, Lapena added.
Both packages were found to have fictitious consignees and delivery address.
The Customs-NAIA has been continuously interdicting imports and exports disguised as furniture and other general merchandise but the actual contents are illegal drugs.
“In support of the antidrug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte, we have intensified our anti-drug operations at the ports, and so we were able to apprehend eight drug shipments in March and April in NAIA alone,” the customs chief said.
In March, BOC-NAIA busted 42 tablets of Cyprotone Acetate Ethinlestradiol found in an outgoing parcel to Canada and 33.06 grams of shabu and pouch of kush weeds concealed in a toy doll from an incoming shipment from California,
USA.
While in April, Collection District III seized 962 pieces of Ecstasy tablets from Netherlands and 7517.6 grams of shabu from five incoming shipments concealed in Lego toys, baby crib, car seat, pillow and medicine cabinet from California, USA.
“We are still training the Customs examiners and enforcers in NAIA to perfect the profiling techniques to safeguard parcels in post offices and shipments in warehouses from anti-social and prohibited goods,” District Collector Carmelita Talusan said.