P35 million worth of shabu, P20 million worth of kush seized in NAIA ops

Authorities seized more than P35 million worth of suspected shabu and over P20 million worth of suspected kush in separate operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said in separate statements on Thursday.

According to the BOC, the back-to-back operations took place on August 13 and 14.

The agencies said a 35-year-old South African national on Tuesday was arrested at NAIA Terminal 3 after over five kilograms of suspected shabu with a standard drug value of P35,802,000 were confiscated from him.

Also seized from the suspect were passports, cellphone, identification cards, and travel documents.

On Wednesday, they were able to seize 14.825 kilograms or P20,755,000 worth of kush, a high-grade marijuana, from a 40-year-old Thai national. Passport, boarding pass, cellular phones, and identification card were also confiscated from the suspect.

Both suspects underwent screening and inspection, and were immediately apprehended.

The contraband was turned over to the PDEA for investigation. The PDEA said the two suspects will face complaints for the violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. — Joviland Rita and Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News