Two South African passengers were arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Friday, Jan. 17, for allegedly trying to smuggle P97,892,000 worth of “shabu” into the country.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office National Capital Region (PDEA RO NCR) said that the unidentified male and female suspects yielded around 14,396 kilograms of shabu which were concealed in their luggage.
Based on the flight details, the suspects arrived via Emirates Airline from Johannesburg, South Africa with a connecting flight in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) bound for Manila, Philippines.
During an inspection at the Customs Exclusion Room at the NAIA International Arrival Area, the PDEA said a Bureau of Customs (BOC) x-ray inspector noticed that the baggage belonging to the suspects contained a suspicious substance during the scanning process.
Upon verification, the PDEA noted a K-9 unit inspection was undertaken where a positive indication of the presence of dangerous drugs was finally uncovered. When the baggage was opened for further assessment, authorities scoured all its contents and found the crystalline substance which eventually tested positive for shabu.
The suspects explained during an interrogation that they were convinced by a Nigerian friend from South Africa to meet another Nigerian national upon arrival in the Philippines on an all-expenses-paid trip.
Aside from the seized drugs, the operatives also found cellular phones, travel documents, and identification cards (IDs) inside the suspects’ luggage.
The suspects face charges for violation of Section 4 (importation of dangerous drugs), Article II of Republic Act (RA) 9165 otherwise known as “The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022,’’ which carries the penalty of life imprisonment and fine ranging from P500,000 to P10,000,000.