A female visitor was arrested in her attempt to smuggle into the New Bilibid Prison (NBI) in Muntinlupa City suspected illegal drugs that were stashed inside her private part, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said on Wednesday, March 26.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. identified the arrested woman as Rovelyn Fabillar, 26, who was arrested at the NBP on Tuesday, March 25.
The BuCor said that Fabillar, a resident of Pasig City, went to the NBP to visit a person deprived of liberty (PDL) identified as Lester Martin Ramos.
It said "the alleged drugs were discovered during a routine security inspections of PDL visitors at the inmate visiting services unit (IVSU) -Maximum Security Compound where Bucor personnel noticed irregularities in Fabillar's abdomen.”
It also said BuCor's personnel found the illegal drugs after the woman passed through an advanced full-body scanner that revealed something was stashed inside her private part.
“The said contraband was wrapped in a condom, and placed inside a transparent plastic,” it added.
The BuCor said that “Fabillar was turned over to the Muntinlupa PNP (Philippine National Police) while the confiscated items were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for proper disposition.”
It said the full-body scanner is one of two acquired by the bureau last year. The scanners are “advanced full-body scanners capable of detecting items ingested or hidden under clothing, including concealed contraband inside visitors’ bodies.”
“This technology aims to streamline the security process, reducing the need for invasive strip searches and manual cavity checks, which can be uncomfortable and time-consuming for both visitors and personnel,” it explained.