Customs hauls in more illegal drugs, cigarettes
THE intelligence and enforcement services of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) remain unaffected by leadership changes as it continues to apprehend shipments of contraband such as cigarettes and illegal drugs.
At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), district collector Carmelita “Mimel” Talusan reported the seizure of some 12 kilos of “kush marijuana” loaded in a balikbayan box at the Paircargo Warehouse worth at least P16.8 million from California, USA.
Talusan said the subsequent joint “controlled delivery operation” conducted by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (IADITG) resulted in the arrest of the yet-to-be-named suspects in Antipolo, Rizal, last February 11, 2023, three days after the change of BOC leadership.
Prior to this, last February 6, 2023, the NAIA collection district also announced the apprehension of another unnamed suspect in Makati City during another controlled delivery operation involving a shipment of 255 grams of shabu from France.
The illegal drugs, valued at P1.74 million, which were declared as “antique French phone” arrived last January 30, 2023.
Meanwhile, last February 9, 2023, the Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), in conjunction with the BOC in Zamboanga City, announced the confiscation of smuggled cigarettes in Bgy. Tambara, Malabang, Lanao del Sur.
The news dispatch disclosed that the Marine Battalion Landing Team 2 (MBLT-2) earlier received information about a motorized banca unloading box of cigarettes in the vicinity of Sitio Ayunan.
After validating the information, a joint government task group was immediately formed that resulted in the confiscation of 118 boxes of cigarettes initially valued at P2.065 million.
At the Port of Clark, a belated report from District Collector John Simon disclosed the seizure of a shipment of 1.187 kilos of cocaine worth P6.2 million last January 24, 2023.
The illegal drugs were found hidden inside the rims of three wheelchair casters that arrived from Tanzania, East Africa, last January 13.
The three drug interdictions resulted in the confiscation of illegal drugs collectively valued at P24.74 million.
