The Bureau of Customs (BOC) discovered 1,187.1 grams of cocaine worth PHP 6.2 million hidden in the rims of three wheelchair casters at the Port of Clark.

The Bureau said in a statement Wednesday that the illegal drugs were discovered on Jan. 24 in a shipment labeled as a "mini/sumatic wheelchair caster" by port authorities.

The shipment arrived on January 13 from Tanzania in eastern Africa, according to the company.

According to Port of Clark District Collector John Simon, the shipment was subjected to K9 sniffing, x-ray scanning, and physical examination based on information provided by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Upon physical examination, three wheelchair casters were discovered to be filled with a white powdery substance along the rims.

Representative samples were then taken to the PDEA for chemical laboratory analysis, which revealed that they tested positive for cocaine, a prohibited drug under Republic Act (RA) 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The Port of Clark issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the shipment immediately for violating Sections 118 (g), 119 (d), and 1113 par. Sections f, I, and l (3 and 4) of RA 10863 in relation to Section 4 of RA 9165.

Simon stated that their border security measures, as well as their consistent coordination with the PDEA, have effectively prevented these illegal drugs from entering the country.