A package containing vape cartridges and gummy candies allegedly infused with marijuana was seized by the authorities when it was delivered to a female claimant at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City on Monday, Jan. 31.
Operatives of the Bureau of Customs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) collared the claimant identified as Elvira Vicente when she claimed the package around 12:30 p.m.
According to BOC-NAIA, the package was declared as "personal gifts and clothing" and Vicente presented an authorization letter from the consignee, identified as a certain Vincent Castillo, to claim the goods shipped from Canada.
However, during a physical examination, authorities found that the package contained undeclared 20 pu hes of cannabis-infused gummy candies and 49 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vape cartridges along with chocolates, cosmetics, and various clothes.
The seized goods were priced at P85,299.12.
Initial field test conducted by the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF NAIA) showed that the gummies and the vape cartridges contain cannabinoid, a chemical compound found in cannabis or marijuana.
The seized gummies and vape cartridges were immediately submitted to PDEA chemical laboratory for further quantitative and qualitative tests.
The PDEA reminded the public that cannabis, THC or any derivatives in any form containing said substance are classified as a dangerous drug under Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
It added that the unauthorized importation, sale, possession, cultivation, and use of such items remain punishable under the law.
The arrested claimant and seized illegal goods were turned over to the PDEA for the institution of inquest proceedings for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165) in relation to Section 118 (Prohibited Importation) and Section 1401 (Unlawful Importation) of the Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
The BOC, under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, vowed to remain vigilant against the entry of prohibited drugs and other contraband in all airports and seaports nationwide.