Gummy candies and vape items with cannabis?
That is what the joint operations of the Bureau of Customs NAIA (BOC-NAIA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) found out as agents seized these items last Monday, Jan. 31, in Pasay City.
The items were seized following the arrest of a claimant of the package, identified as Elvira Vicente, at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC).
Vicente presented an authorization letter from the consignee, a certain Vincent Castillo, to claim the package which was declared as "personal gifts and clothing".
The package turned out to be containing containing gummies infused with cannabis and THC Vape Cartridges with as estimate value of more than P85,000. The package came from Canada.
It was during the physical examination at the CMEC window that the illegal goods were discovered as witnessed by the claimant, with representatives of the BOC, and PhilPost.
Inside the EMS package, along with chocolates, cosmetics, and clothing, were 20 undeclared pouches of Cannabis Infused Gummy, as well as 49 pieces of THC Vape Cartridges.
In an Initial field test conducted by the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF NAIA), it showed that the gummies and the vape cartridges contain cannabinoid, a chemical compound found in cannabis or also known as marijuana.
The items were confiscated and were immediately submitted to the PDEA chemical laboratory for further quantitative and qualitative tests.
Under Republic Act (RA) No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, cannabis, THC or any derivatives in any form containing the said substance are classified as a dangerous drug. The unauthorized importation, sale, possession, cultivation, and use thereof remain punishable under the law.
The arrested claimant and seized illegal goods were turned over to PDEA for the institution of inquest proceedings for violation of R.A. No. 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).