PNP seizes P2.2 billion in shabu inside container van at Manila Port

The Philippine National Police seized almost P2.2 billion in illegal drugs found inside a cargo container at the Manila International Container Port, the PNP Drug Enforcement Group said in a Friday statement.

The Drug Enforcement Group added that the 323,184 grams of shabu valued at P2,197,651,200 were discovered and seized during a Thursday joint interdiction operation.

According to a DZBB report by Isa Umali on Thursday, the contraband was allegedly shipped from Mexico and arrived at the Manila port in January 2023.

According to a 24 Oras report by Emil Sumangil on Friday, the shipment was identified after the container van carrying the contraband was abandoned for the past 7 months and had questionable documents.

“Dalawa yung kanyang bill of lading… There are 2 shippers from Mexico on this cargo,” said Bureau of Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Juvymax Uy.

After insider information from an informant from CALABARZON and subsequent proceedings, the container was discovered to contain a crystallized substance hidden inside beef jerky packaging and wrapped in both carbon paper and aluminum paper.

“Based on observation sa X-ray, the carbon paper and the foil may have an effect on the X-ray reading because based on the initial X-ray test, only two of the packages indicated crystals inside all the others are muddled ang image niya,” PNP Drug Enforcement Group Officer-in-Charge Police Colonel Dionisio Bartolome said.

The PDEA Laboratory forensic examination confirmed the substance to be shabu.

The PNP NCR Police Office confirmed that the contraband would have been distributed around Luzon had it not been seized.

PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. said investigations continued as the owner of the container van was confirmed to have been a “Salesbeat within OPC.”

PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. said investigators were attempting to verify if the current discovery was related to the P3.6 billion worth of shabu that was seized in an undercover operation in Pampanga in September. — DVM, GMA Integrated News