Authorities arrested late Friday a man who carried 20 kilos of shabu at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 from South Africa, the Bureau of Customs announced Saturday.
The BoC Port of NAIA said that the man, whose identity was withheld pending his booking, arrived close to midnight not knowing that he had been tipped off as an alleged drug courier by the United States Homeland Security.
Elements of the BoC-NAIA, Bureau of Immigration, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the NAIA Inter-Agency Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Group pounced on the suspect when he claimed his baggage shortly upon arrival of Qatar Airways flight QR928.
BoC-NAIA said that during the examination of the baggage, the intel report proved positive as the man’s baggage contained 21.21 kilos of shabu or crystal meth with an estimated value of P144.3 million.
The suspect was charged with violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Other than that, the man is 60 years old and that he’s a South African, the BoC-NAIA withheld any other information about him. It remained unclear also why the tip about his carrying drugs from his home country came from the US.
It was the 22nd drug bust by the BoC at the NAIA of late. It vowed to be on its toes to ensure that the Philippines do not become a narcotics transshipment point or destination country.