129 capsules of cocaine with an estimated value of P731,400 were found in four boxes of candies seized by BOC-Clark. (Photo from Bureau of Customs website)
MANILA, Philippines – Over P730,000 worth of cocaine were found inside a shipment said to contain “shirts” in the Port of Clark in Pampanga, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported.
The bureau on Thursday said that 129 capsules of cocaine with an estimated value of P731,400 were discovered during an inspection on July 20.
The shipment containing illegal drugs came from Queen Street West in Toronto, Canada, according to the bureau.
“It was profiled by the assigned Customs Examiner and subjected to physical examination which led to the findings of four boxes of Mike and Ike Candies containing 129 pcs. capsules of white powdery substance suspected to be illegal drugs,” the BOC said in a statement.
The bureau said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) conducted K9 sniffing tests that resulted in positive indications of the presence of illegal drugs.
The Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force then conducted a field test, where they detected “mixture of cocaine and lidocaine” within the substances, BOC said.
BOC said the samples were turned over once again to PDEA for chemical laboratory analysis, which confirmed that the substances inside the shipment were indeed cocaine.
The bureau said a Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued against the subject shipment for the violation of Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, in relation to Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
BOC-Port of Clark, in coordination with PDEA, said they will continue to intensify the implementation of border protection measures to prevent the entry of illegal goods into the Philippines. – Christine Annie Asistio, INQUIRER.net intern