P133.6 million drugs seized at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized P133.6 million worth of illegal drugs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from May 26 to June 7, officials said yesterday.

In a press briefing, BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña and BOC-NAIA district collector Mimel Talusan presented 17.96 kilos of shabu and 1.03 kilos of marijuana that were misdeclared as DVD players, furniture, cereal and chairs.

The parcels were intercepted by the BOC at the FedEx warehouse.

Lapeña identified the senders as Taylor Dizon, Eagler Po Box Rental, Gina Gamboa, Raven Mesina, Donna Mendoza and consigned to Christina Dizon, Alvin Santiago, Sergio Gamboa Natividad, Gracen Washington and Ricardo Mendoza.

The parcels were subjected to controlled delivery – meaning operatives were ready to arrest whoever claimed the packages – but the operations were unsuccesful since the names and addresses of the consignees are fictitious, Lapeña said.

He also said that he signed an order directing all Customs district collectors to examine the hand-carried luggage of arriving passengers assisted by government employees at all ports of the country to thward the “salubong” system of smuggling goods into the country.