THE Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) headed by its Director, PBGen Jason Capoy, announced the interception of two passengers carrying illegal drugs worth at least P304,533,000 within the same day at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
“To those who attempt to smuggle illegal drugs through our airports, let this serve as a warning: you will be caught and you will face the full force of the law. Our airports will never be safe havens for criminal activity. We will protect our borders at all costs”, Capoy assured.
Capoy said the operation was made successful through the coordination with Bureau of Customs-NAIA under Disrict Collector Alexandra-Yap Lumontad and deputy collector for passenger services Dr. Mark Jhon Almase, the Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group and the PDEA K9 Team.
The first interception was of a 25-year-old Filipino male passenger who arrived in the country from Toronto, Canada with a connecting flight from Hong Kong. He was carrying over ₱139 million worth of suspected shabu when nabbed on Monday morning, July 14, 2025.
The alert was raised after x-ray screeners at the Arrival International Area detected a suspicious image inside a blue luggage. Lumontad said a customs officer proceeded with a manual inspection, which led to the discovery of five transparent plastic bags, each wrapped in foil and duct tape, containing a white crystalline substance believed to be an illegal drugs.
The BOC-NAIA immediately coordinated with the PNP-AVSEGROUP and upon arrival, the PDEA narcotics detection dog gave a positive response to the baggage, confirming initial suspicions.
Subsequent field testing verified the substance as methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, with a total weight of 20,554 grams and an estimated standard drug value of P139,762,200.
Authorities promptly carried out the arrest, ensuring the passenger was informed of his constitutional rights. The marking and inventory of the confiscated evidence were conducted in the presence of mandatory witnesses.
Later in the afternoon, a female Canadian passenger was caught for allegedly trafficking approximately 24 kilograms of shabu also at NAIA Terminal 3.
Capoy said the operation began when suspicious white substances were detected during routine X-ray screening of the passenger’s luggage, prompting the BOC-NAIA personnel to conduct a thorough manual inspection in the passenger’s presence, which revealed multiple plastic bags containing white crystalline powder.
On testing, the substance was confirmed to be shabu weighing 24,231 grams with an estimated value of ₱164,770,800.
Both passengers face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and along with the seized items, remain in custody at the NAIA-IADITG Operations Center while awaiting further legal proceedings.
“This arrest shows the government’s firm stance against illegal drugs. Law enforcement cooperation at airports is crucial,” said Capoy.
