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PDEA foils smuggling of over P139 M shabu at NAIA

Philippines | National

PDEA foils smuggling of over P139 M shabu at NAIA

By Chito Chavez

(PDEA PHOTO)

Government anti-narcotics authorities seized on Monday, July 14, around P139.7 million worth of shabu following the arrest of an arriving passenger during an interdiction operation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) stated.

In a statement, the PDEA said the arrested 25-year old passenger was nabbed at about 12 noon by the NAIA-Interagency Drug Interdiction Task Group by virtue of an intelligence report.

After the suspect was collared, authorities inspected a blue suitcase that arrived on a flight from Toronto, Canada, with a layover in Hong Kong.

“Inside, they found five plastic bags wrapped in foil and duct tape, each filled with white crystalline substances hidden among personal belongings. The suspected shabu weighed a total of about 20,554 grams,’’ the PDEA noted.

Upon further search, the investigators also recovered other items, including a Philippine passport, two airline boarding passes, a mobile phone, and a national identification (ID) card.

The PDEA revealed that initial field testing confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine hydrochloride but samples have been turned over to the PDEA Laboratory Service for further examination.

The suspect faces charges for violation of Section 4 (importation of dangerous drugs), Article II of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or “The Comprehensive dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.’’

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