Air parcel yields high-grade marijuana; 2 arrested

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has arrested two people who allegedly claimed an air parcel containing P600,000 worth of kush marijuana.

Van Joshua Magpantay and Johnyengle Hernandez were arrested on Saturday by agents from the BOC-Naia (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Naia Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.

According to the BOC, the parcel arrived through Fedex Pasay City and was sent by a certain Nina Manuel from California. It was misdeclared as “musical instruments” and consigned to a certain “Dimitria Escalona” of Batangas.

The parcel was found to contain 500 grams of dried leaves of high-grade marijuana, also known as kush. Last week, the BOC seized an air parcel with 535 Ecstacy tablets worth P1 million.

The parcel, misdeclared as “documents” from the Netherlands, was seized at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.

—Tina G. Santos