The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC)—Port of Clark seized the claimant of a shipment carrying 2,378 grams of Kush marijuana worth close to PHP4 million.
In a statement issued by the Bureau on Monday, the 27-year-old male consignee was apprehended during a controlled delivery in Sta. On April 13, Cruz will be in Manila.
On April 12, officials discovered the illegal narcotics during a physical investigation of a cargo from California, USA, allegedly containing "Tevana Green Herbal Tea."
The consignment, valued at PHP 3,923,700, was submitted to standard K9 sniffing and X-ray scanning processes before being subjected to physical examination, which resulted in the finding of five tin cans containing dried leaves presumed to be Kush marijuana.
The samples were subsequently collected and turned over to the PDEA for a chemical laboratory investigation, which verified the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana), a dangerous narcotic listed in Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
District Collector John Simon will issue a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the subject shipment for violating Sections 118 (g), 119 (d), and 1113 par. 1 of the Customs Act. RA 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), in connection with RA 9165, Sections f, i, and l (3 and 4).
Meanwhile, for violating RA 9165, the apprehended claimant will face criminal charges.
