P56-M SHABU DECLARED AS DRY FOOD FROM CALIFORNIA SEIZED IN CAVITE

A CONSIGNEE was arrested while some  P56-million worth of shabu declared as dry food was seized by joint operatives during a controlled delivery operation in Cavite.

Members of the Bureau of Customs – Port of Clark, in close coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF), X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), launched the sting.

According to the PDEA, the shipment was subjected to rigorous x-ray screening and K9 sniffing, which both indicated possible presence of illegal drugs.

Physical examination resulted in the discovery of eight heat-sealed plastics containing 8,126 grams of shabu worth P56,069,400 declared as dry food.

The illegal shipment arrived in the country on December 17, 2023 from California, USA.

PDEA chemical laboratory analysis confirmed that the substance is methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as shabu, a dangerous drug under Republic Act 9165.

Operatives from the BOC and PDEA arrested a male claimant during the Controlled Delivery Operation in Cavite on December 19, 2023.

District collector Erastus Sandino Austria issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the subject shipment for violation of Republic Act  10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to Republic Act 9165.

The seizure is the largest illegal drug apprehension recorded by the Port of Clark in 2023.

“The arrest only shows that we are steadfast and firm in our efforts to protect the health of our people against the harmful effects of the illicit trade of drugs in the country,” said Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.