Authorities seized more than ₱22.6 million worth of suspected marijuana kush from the luggage of a 60-year-old British national at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Thursday night, August 7.
In a report by RH Jecelle Ricafort on DZRH Rapido Hataw Balita, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said the operation was conducted around 8:40 p.m. at the Customs International Arrival Area.
The suspect, identified as alias “Patrick,” had just arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, when his luggage was scanned by an X-ray machine, revealing an organic substance, prompting coordination with the PDEA's K9 unit to inspect the bag.
The PDEA K9 Unit conducted a paneling procedure, during which the narcotic detection dog gave a positive indication for dangerous drugs.
Upon further inspection, authorities discovered 35 transparent plastic pouches wrapped in packaging tape containing dried leaves suspected to be marijuana kush, with a total weight of approximately 15,078 grams.
“Also recovered were non-drug items, including identification documents, a boarding pass, and a cellular phone, all belonging to the suspect,” the statement added.
Patrick is now facing charges for violating Section 4, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which prohibits the importation of dangerous drugs.
“This offense carries the penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine of up to ten million pesos, depending on the final weight and classification of the illegal drugs involved,” the PDEA said.
The authorities further said that the suspect and the seized contraband are now under the custody of the NAIA-Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) Operations Center for documentation and further legal action.
