
A total of P218,484,000 worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" was seized from a consignee of a shipment intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Wednesday, April 17.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported on Thursday, April 18, that the consignee, Christine Tigranes, 28, was arrested after allegedly claiming four parcels wrapped in clear plastic at around 8:42 p.m. inside the People's Air Cargo and Warehousing Co., Inc. (PAIR-PAGS) Center at NAIA Complex in Pasay City.
Further search led to the discovery of four machinery mufflers in each of the four packages and four transparent plastic bags containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, the PDEA said.
Anti-narcotics authorities later found other pieces of evidence that included a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) identification card (ID), national ID, airways bill documents with number 176-88910964 and a cellular phone.
The Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (IADITG) -- composed of officers from PDEA, Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and Bureau of Immigration (BI) -- carried out the operation.
Tigranes faces charges for violation of Section 4 (importation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPEC), Article II of Republic Act (RA) Number 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.