Airport authorities intercepted more than eight kilos of suspected cocaine from the luggage of a 30-year-old overseas Filipino worker during an evening operation at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Thursday.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) identified the woman only by the alias “Vane,” describing her as a domestic helper who was in transit after arriving from São Paulo, Brazil, with Doha, Qatar listed as her onward destination. The interception took place shortly after 7:20 p.m.
During baggage inspection, officers discovered a concealed section inside a black suitcase. Inside the compartment were approximately 8.19 kilograms of a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, with an estimated street value of PHP43.4 million.
Authorities also secured various personal and travel-related items, including a Philippine passport, two boarding passes, and a backpack containing a bank passbook, two mobile phones, several identification and bank cards, assorted foreign currencies, and cargo-related documents.
All seized materials were transferred to the PDEA Laboratory Service for chemical analysis and documentation.
The operation was conducted jointly by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, which includes the PDEA, Bureau of Customs–Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, Airport Police Department, PNP Drug Enforcement Group, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Immigration.
The suspect is set to face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
