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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BOC seizes P2.64-billion 'shabu' stash concealed in dried mango packs

BOC seizes P2.64-billion 'shabu' stash concealed in dried mango packs

Published Feb 6, 2025 06:07 am

Four hundred seven packs of crystal meth, amounting to around P2.64 billion, were intercepted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) two weeks ago at the Port of Manila (POM).

On Jan. 23, the BOC discovered 407 packs of crystal meth or “shabu” concealed in the packaging of dried mango. These packs were found in 58 boxes, which arrived at the Philippine border with 640 boxes more.

Each pack of shabu weighed one kilogram, and the 407 packs totaled 407 kilograms.

“With the current street market value of shabu at P6.5 million per kilogram, the total value of the seized illegal drugs amounts to ₱2,645,500,000,” the BOC said in a statement released on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Reports from the BOC showed that the smuggled illegal drugs were shipped from Pakistan, declared to contain Crispo vermicelli and Rafhan custard sauce.

Upon “derogatory information” from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) made an alert order against the shipment, which led to the confirmation of the smuggled drugs.

Five suspects in the alleged drug smuggling case face inquest proceedings, with criminal charges now pending at the regional trial court (RTC) in Manila.

The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Prosecution Service identified them as Oscar Campo Berba of Redshinting Consumer Goods Trading, customs brokers Kevin Lee Manuel Arrio and Richard Perlado Aguantar, along with Ark Global Movers' chairman Karen Villaflor Sacro and president Rey Baysa Gujilde."

“Seeing this as our first major drug haul of the year, I would like to commend our officers as well as our partner law enforcement agencies—the NBI, PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency], and DOJ [Department of Justice]—for their timely actions that led to this successful operation,” said BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio.

“Drug traffickers go to great lengths to circumvent our laws, deceive authorities, and harm our communities. But our officers go to even greater lengths to protect our people from the harm and danger brought by illegal drugs,” Rubio added.

Juvymax Uy, deputy commissioner for intelligence group, reported that “the suspected shabu was officially turned over to PDEA for laboratory examination and custody.”

“While we are proud of the hard work that comes with an operation like this, we also know that these criminals know no bounds, and they will push us to the limits,” Uy said.
He added that the agency is “committed to doing even better in the coming months as we try to crack down on the threats these shipments bring to our communities.”

The POM’s district collector issued a seizure order on the shipment for customs violations, with consignees, senders, and recipients facing charges for misdeclaration and prohibited importation under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

Related Tags

Bureau of Customs (BoC)
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