Photo courtesy of Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group/Facebook.
Police authorities reported on Monday that suspected marijuana valued at about P11.76 million was seized from several unclaimed international parcels at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.
The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) said the four inbound packages were flagged during routine x-ray screening conducted by Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel last Friday.
A subsequent inspection, carried out with the assistance of a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) canine unit, confirmed the presence of illegal drugs inside the parcels, authorities said.
Police recovered an estimated 7.84 kilograms of suspected marijuana kush hidden among ordinary items, including food products, clothing, bedding, and tin containers.
Investigators said the parcels formed part of a group of shipments that had been abandoned at the facility, prompting closer scrutiny after intelligence reports raised suspicion.
Authorities did not immediately disclose where the packages originated or their intended destinations, citing the need to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
The confiscated substances were turned over to the PDEA for proper disposition and further case build-up, the police said.
They noted that the seizure followed earlier interceptions at the same mail hub, where dozens of abandoned parcels containing illegal drugs worth tens of millions of pesos were discovered earlier this month.