Cocaine worth P47.7M disguised as candy seized at NAIA

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) detained a Bolivian national at the Ninoy Aquino National Airport (NAIA) after he was caught smuggling P47.7 million worth of cocaine disguised as candy.

The BOC said on Wednesday that an x-ray scan and a physical search revealed that the luggage of the male suspect who flew to Manila from Addis Ababa on board Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 644 contained 8.99 kilograms of cocaine hidden in small candy wrappers.

After receiving a “derogatory report” from the BOC’s foreign counterpart, authorities singled out the Bolivian traveler for a closer inspection which revealed the illegal drugs.

The Bolivian was arrested with the assistance of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group. He is facing charges for violating the Comprehensive Drugs Act and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio commended the efforts of NAIA officers that led to the seizure of the narcotics.

“The BOC-NAIA remains steadfast in the performance of the port’s mandates, especially in suppressing the entry of illicit goods into the country," he said.

BOC-NAIA has recorded over 59 apprehensions and an estimated P1.01 billion worth of confiscated illegal drugs since January 2023.—RF, GMA Integrated News