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Suspected Filipina courier of illegal drugs arrested at NAIA

Philippines | National

Suspected Filipina courier of illegal drugs arrested at NAIA

By Jeffrey Damicog

A suspected Filipina courier of illegal drugs worth P24 million has been arrested upon her arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from Sierra Leone, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Friday, Jan. 10.

The BI identified the arrested woman as Joy Dagonano Gulmatico, 29, who was intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 3 on Thursday evening, Jan. 9.

“Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel inspected Gulmatico’s luggage and found suspicious substances concealed inside the lining of four handbags and one suitcase,” the BI said citing a report from its Anti-Terrorist Group (BI-ATG) Chief Bienvenido Castillo III.

“Testing by BOC personnel confirmed that the powdery substance is positive for cocaine, totaling to 4.574 kilograms with a street value of more than P24 million,” it alsdo said.

Following her arrest, the BI said that Gulmatico was presented for inquest for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 .

In his reports, Castillo said the BI "monitored the suspicious flight pattern taken by the subject.”

Because of this, the bureau said the BI-ATG "recommended that Gulmatio be inspected by members of the NAIA drug interdiction task group (DITG).”

“NAIA-DITG members including personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group, Airport Police Department, PNP Drug Enforcement Group, and National Bureau of Investigation assisted in the inspection,” the BI said.

Related Tags

Bureau of Immigration cocaine

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