THE Bureau of Customs – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) has registered another record with a major breakthrough following a series of interdictions involving inbound parcels which yielded seizure of illegal substances worth over P10 million.
BOC-NAIA District Collector Atty. Yasmin O. Mapa said that in recent operations conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), they were able to uncover a total of 20 abandoned inbound parcels containing dried leaves suspected to be marijuana or “kush,” with an estimated combined street value of ₱10,678,500.
Just last January 22, 2026, nine abandoned inbound parcels misdeclared as common consumer goods such as snacks, dried fruits, clothing and art supplies were found to contain an estimated ₱6.6 million worth of “kush.”
Following this, on February 2, 2026, the BOC-NAIA found 11 additional abandoned parcels, valued at approximately ₱4,078,500, similarly concealed in shipments declared as clothing and other consumer items.
According to BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, the operations are in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s call for strengthened border security, ensuring that “sustained vigilance and close coordination with our partner agencies remain our strongest tools. We will continue to strengthen our controls and act decisively against any attempt to bring illegal drugs into the country.”
Nepomuceno said all seized items were immediately secured and turned over to PDEA for proper disposition and further investigation and the interdictions constitute violations of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended) and Republic Act No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).
The BOC-NAIA, under the leadership of Atty. Mapa, meanwhile assured that it will continue to strengthen its inspection and enforcement measures in close coordination with partner agencies in order to prevent the use of postal and courier channels for the smuggling of illegal drugs.
Mapa added that with these latest seizures, the cumulative value of illegal drugs intercepted by BOC-NAIA for the year has now reached more than ₱320 million, underscoring the Port’s sustained drive to block illicit substances from entering the country through postal and courier channels.
