P1.36-billion shabu shipment seized at Manila port
Authorities present packets of shabu discovered inside a shipment at a Manila port. Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN News MANILA — Authorities seized around 200 kilograms of shabu worth P1.36 billion from a shipment intercepted at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) in North Harbor, Manila.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Customs and Philippine National Police jointly intercepted the shipment on October 15.
The contraband consisted of approximately 200 packages of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride. It was concealed inside cartons declared as cardboard boxes.
Authorities discovered that the boxes had been hollowed out in the middle to hide the illegal drugs and evade detection.
The shipment reportedly originated from Laos and was transported to Vietnam before being shipped to Hong Kong and eventually brought to the Philippines.
Authorities are still investigating the identities of the shipper and consignee.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla credited the successful interception to intelligence-sharing and cooperation among law enforcement agencies in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.
Remulla said the operation was based on intelligence information from Vietnam, which alerted Philippine authorities and prompted BOC to subject the shipment to X-ray inspection.
“Ito ay patunay na ang programa ng ating Pangulo ay tungkol sa interdiction. Hindi po natin tina-target ang mga maliliit na tao. Hindi po natin target lang ang mga peddler. Kinukuha natin from the source itself,” Remulla said.
Remulla added that the latest seizure was part of the around 17 tons of illegal drugs intercepted by authorities since 2022.
Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the agency uses risk profiling to identify suspicious shipments based on their country of origin, shipper, and the importer’s track record.
“’Yong karton, siguro akala nila hindi natin mapapansin dahil karton lang. Subalit again, base sa intelligence at sa X-ray, ‘pag nakita n’yo ‘yong X-ray image nito, kitang-kita rin naman,” Nepomuceno said.
He added that authorities would continue strengthening their inspection procedures as drug syndicates find new ways to conceal illegal substances.
PDEA Deputy Director General Renato Gumban said the shipment’s declared destination was an address in Buhay na Tubig, Imus, Cavite.
“But we do not know whether it is just fictitious or not. And still we are conducting the background investigation on that place,” Gumban said.
The latest seizure came about a month after authorities in Laos intercepted 521 kilograms of suspected shabu aboard a private chartered aircraft reportedly bound for the Philippines.