In a recent operation, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized a suspected smuggled shipment from the United States, confiscating cannabis-infused vapes worth P250,116.
An inspection was conducted in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEG), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Pampanga District Office, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and local Barangay officials from Dau.
The shipment, initially declared as “Label Marker Machines,” was flagged for further inspection by the X-ray Inspection Project. Additionally, a K-9 unit detected the presence of illegal substances.
During a thorough physical examination, authorities discovered 100 cannabis-infused disposable vapes from various brands.
The presence of cannabinoids was confirmed after the samples were tested with the Rigaku Spectrometer Reader.
The samples were subsequently submitted to the PDEA for laboratory analysis, which confirmed that the substances were marijuana, classified as a dangerous drug under the amended R.A. No. 9165.
The issuance of a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the shipment was based on violations of Sections 118(g), 119(d), and 1113, paragraphs f, i, and l (3 and 4) of R.A. No. 10863, known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), in connection with R.A. No. 9165.
