DAVAO CITY — The Bureau of Customs-Port of Clark seized 1.026 kgs of Shabu worth P6.5 million from a shipment of aquarium filter from the Czech Republic and 30ml of marijuana on 3 December 2019.
The shipment said to contain “external aquarium filter” but when it underwent non-intrusive examination, it revealed suspicious images which prompted the Customs to coordinate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to validate their suspicion that said parcel contained illegal drugs.
When K-9 team inspected the same, the dogs indicate a “sit alert”. A trained K-9 dog automatically sit when it sniff an illegal drugs or bombs.
This led to Customs and PDEA officials to examination the shipment which yielded two (2) plastic packs of crystalline, the chemical analysis showed that the shipped items contain Methamphetamine Hydrochloride or “shabu”.
A Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) was issued for violation of Section 118 (g), 119 (d), 1113 par. (f), (i) & (l) and 1400 of R.A. No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Similarly, last 3 December 2019, a shipment declared in the invoice as nutritional supplement was found to contain three (3) bottles with markings of marijuana leaf. Thereafter, samples were taken for the conduct of PDEA analysis which were found positive for presence of Marijuana. WSD will be issued against the same by the District Collector.
The seized methamphetamine hydrochloride and marijuana were turned over to PDEA Region III on November 27, 2019 and December 3, 2019, respectively.
District Collector Ruby Alameda said that the port will maintain a heightened border security as this was the same season last year when the Port of Clark apprehended 153-M worth of prohibited drugs.
Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said that the vigilance and enhance border control at Port of Clark has resulted to the seizure of P159.5-M worth of prohibited drugs since January this year.
