P130M worth of illegal drugs seized at NAIA, Clark port

Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena presents to media the 17.96 kilos of shabu and 1.03kilos of marijuana seized in Pasay and Port of Clark estimated to be worth P133.6 million.  INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized more than P130 million worth of illegal drugs during an operation in Pasay and Clark.

Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said on Monday that the agency seized 15.96 kilos of shabu and 1.03 kilos of marijuana inside the FedEx warehouse at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The illegal drugs were concealed inside five inbound parcels from the United States.

According to a report from the Office of the District Collector of NAIA, the packages were declared as DVD players, furniture, cereals, and baby carriers, and were intercepted by the BOC from May 26 to June 7.

“The senders are Taylor Dizon, Eagle Po Box Rental, Gina Gamboa, Raven Mesina, Donna Mendoza and consigned to certain Christina Dizon, Alvin Santiago, Sergio Gamboa Natividad, Gracen Washington, and Ricardo Mendoza,” Lapeña said in a statement.

The BOC claimed that the names and addresses of the parcels’ consignees were fictitious.

“The Port of NAIA, Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, X-ray operatives and Enforcement Group are devoted to doing their duty and are in full support to the BOC drive to strengthen vigilance towards curbing the entry of such anti-social and prohibited goods,” Collector Carmelita Talusan said.

Meanwhile, BOC agents also seized two kilos of shabu with an estimated worth of P13.6 million at the Clark port on June 20.

According to Lapeña, the shipment was declared as foam bed and was seized after the x-ray examination at the airport revealed the parcels contain illegal drugs.

The package was consigned to a certain Carlo Cruz Bintulan, a resident from Parañaque City. District collector Atty. Lilibeth Sandag said that the name and the address are fictitious.

Lapeña said in instances like this, the package cannot be delivered.

“We have already apprehended several claimants. These cannot be done without the efforts of the customs officers doing the examination on the ground as well as the strengthened coordination of the bureau with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA),” he said.

Illegal drugs seized by the BOC have already been transferred to PDEA for proper disposal. /ee