Photo courtesy of PNP
Authorities intercepted more than Php 60 million worth of suspected illegal drugs hidden in inbound parcels at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.
The operation was conducted on June 15 by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, composed of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Customs, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Police said 14 abandoned parcels were flagged through intelligence monitoring and cargo profiling at the mail screening facility.
The parcels came from several countries, including Thailand, India, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, and were addressed to different consignees in the Philippines.
Authorities recovered about 5.4 kilograms of suspected marijuana kush worth Php 8.25 million, around 100,000 milliliters of suspected liquid marijuana worth Php 5 million, and nearly nine kilograms of suspected shabu worth Php 46.95 million.
Operatives also found suspected ecstasy tablets, opium poppy derivatives, and other controlled substances concealed in misdeclared shipments.
The drugs were hidden in items such as snacks, coffee products, decorative materials, household filters, wooden organizers, toys, and electronic equipment.
The seized parcels were turned over to PDEA for laboratory examination and proper disposition, while investigators continued tracing the groups behind the attempted shipment. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said the operation showed stronger coordination among agencies guarding entry points against illegal drugs.
