A 69-year-old man was taken into custody at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 after authorities found suspected shabu in his belt bag during security screening on September 17.
The passenger was preparing to board a Manila-to-Davao flight when security personnel detected an unusual image during an X-ray examination of his belongings. A subsequent manual inspection uncovered a heat-sealed plastic container containing a white crystalline substance, along with suspected drug paraphernalia.
The seized substance was subjected to further examination by authorities, including the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Aviation police said a K9 inspection indicated the possible presence of dangerous drugs.
A field examination using a Rigaku Raman spectrometer subsequently returned a positive result for methamphetamine hydrochloride. The substance reportedly weighed approximately 1.5 grams.
Authorities brought the passenger to the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group Operations Center for documentation and further proceedings.
He is set to face appropriate charges under Sections 5 and 12 of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
