BUREAU of Customs-Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) (BOC NAIA) with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA IADITG) intercepted five parcels containing illegal drugs in Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC), preventing the entry of a total of 1,115 ecstasy tablets, and 26.4 grams of Ketamine with an aggregate value of ₱2,027,800.

The parcels were sent as ‘mail parcels’ from the Netherlands and Germany bearing no shipper details and consigned to individuals from Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Bulacan, and Davao.

These were initially tagged suspicious by the X-ray Inspection Project (XIP NAIA) personnel. Upon 100 percent physical examination, the Customs examiner found tablets in different colors and a white crystalline substance.

The qualitative chemical laboratory test conducted by PDEA confirmed that the seized tablets are ecstasy, while the white substance is ketamine.

The seized party drugs and ketamine were turned over to PDEA for case build-up and institution of criminal charges against the persons behind the illegal importation for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165) in relation to Section 1401 (Unlawful Importation) of the Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Statistics show that smuggling attempts of ecstasy in (NAIA) increased from 14 parcels seized in 2020 to 23 parcels seized in 2021 or 60 percent increase in data of interception.

NAIA IADITG Deputy Commander Gerald Javier said, “the increasing number of ecstasy seizures is an indicator that there is a demand of such product in our country… but we, the people in the port of entry are really on the target to intercept these illegal drugs.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Jun I. Legaspi