Shabu File photo

2 S. AFRICANS HELD FOR P98M SHABU SMUGGLE

January 17, 2025 Alfred P. Dalizon 119 views

TWO South African nationals who attempted to smuggle into the country over 14 kilograms of shabu valued at nearly P98 million were arrested early morning Friday by members of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), officials said.

A report from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that the duo yielded two luggage which contained a total of 14,396 grams of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine” worth at least P97.9 million.

The two were arrested after a Bureau of Customs x-ray inspector noticed the presence of suspicious substance inside their luggage prompting him to alert officers of the NAIA-IADITG.

A drug-sniffing dog sent to the Customs Exclusion Room of the NAIA Terminal 3’s International Arrival Area sat on the luggage prompting officers to open it for physical examination.

An initial test of the discovered substance showed they were positive for the presence of methamphetamine hydrochloride also known as shabu. The drug evidence will be subjected to a confirmatory testing as part of the ongoing inquiry.

An investigation showed that the male and female suspects arrived in Manila from Johannesburg, South Africa on board an Emirates Airline.

They briefly stopped in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for a layover before boarding their connecting flight to Manila.

The suspects told investigators they were convinced by a Nigerian friend from South Africa to go on an “all-expenses paid trip” to the Philippines where they are supposedly set to meet another Nigerian national at the NAIA.

The mobile phones, travel documents and identification cards of the duo were seized by government agents as part of the ongoing investigation to determine their cohorts here and abroad.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group director, Brigadier General Christopher M. Abecia said the luggage also contained various items, including handbags, packs of potato chips and biscuits and improvised pouches and the compartment of a book used to hide the prohibited drugs.

“This operation is a testament to the commitment of our task force in protecting our borders and ensuring the safety of the public,” the official said as he lauded member-agencies of the NAIA-IADITG for their vigilance and dedication to combatting drug smuggling at the country’s largest international gateway.

The two, who are now under the custody of the PDEA, will be facing non-bailable charges for importation of dangerous drugs under Section 4 of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The offense carries the penalty of life imprisonment and a minimum fine of P500,000 to as much as P10 million upon conviction.

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