JOINT operatives arrested a female Malagasy national upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 for carrying six kilos of shabu hidden in her check-in luggage.
Arrested on Sunday (March 12) by agents from the Customs-NAIA Anti-Illegal Drug Interdiction Task Group (IADITG) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) upon arrival was Harisoa Sandra, 42. She arrived at NAIA via Hong Kong on Sunday on board Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 644 and was originally from Madagascar, East Africa as her port of origin.
After personnel from the X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) noticed suspicious images in Sandra’s luggage, Customs examiners physically examined the content of Sandra’s luggage and found six kilos of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride heavily wrapped with black plastic and which later was confirmed by the PDEA team as shabu.
Sandra’s luggage was also subjected to K9 and 100 percent thorough physical examination that resulted in the discovery of six kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P40,800,000.
The suspect is currently undergoing custodial investigation of PDEA for the initiation of corresponding inquest proceedings for violation of RA 9165 and RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization Act (CMTA).
BOC-NAIA, under the guidance of Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, remains committed to protecting the country against smuggling attempts along the borders, aligned with the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., said NAIA District Collector Mimel Talusan.
Customs-NAIA will continue to be vigilant in border protection efforts, meeting revenue targets and balance with trade facilitation, Talusan addedsaid.
