Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) announced the confiscation of six parcels of party drugs ecstasy and heroin worth about P4.43 million.
NAIA District Collector Atty. Yasmin Mapa said that the contraband was intercepted at the Central Mail Exchange Center, while contained in parcels declared as skin care products, board games and plumbing materials with markings “Sistema/Shower Set/Pipe Set” and “Kitchen Water Purifier.” In them, about 1,330 tablets of ecstasy and 362 grams of heroin were seized.
Mapa said that based on initial investigation, the said drugs came from Ireland, Netherlands and Thailand and that derogatory information from the Custom intelligence counterpart prompted an immediate coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group for the conduct of the operation.
Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio underscored the importance of information exchange and cooperation among agencies concerned.
According to NAIA Customs deputy collector for passenger services Dr. Mark Jhon Almase, the confiscated drugs were turned over to the PDEA for proper investigation and disposition.
“The Bureau of Customs remains relentless in its efforts to secure the country’s borders against illegal drugs, which pose grave threats to the health and safety of our people,” Rubio said.
