A 77-year-old German passenger was taken into custody at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Thursday afternoon, February 13, 2026 after authorities discovered more than eight kilos of suspected shabu inside his luggage, with an estimated value exceeding ₱55 million.
The arrest was carried out by the Bureau of Customs and the Inter-agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (IADITG), in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration, after airport personnel flagged suspicious X-ray images during routine screening.
Authorities identified the passenger only as “Peter,” who had just arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 from Johannesburg, South Africa via Hong Kong.
Investigators said the suspicious items were found in his check-in luggage, where customs X-ray personnel detected unusual images consistent with concealed illegal drugs. The questionable contents were traced to two books labeled “Holy Bible,” which were inside a black Camel Mountain backpack.
During inspection, authorities found nine improvised plastic pouches wrapped in packaging tape and carbon plastic, allegedly concealed within the books. The pouches contained approximately 8,145 grams of white crystalline substance believed to be Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu.
The seized illegal drugs were estimated to have a standard drug price of PhP55,386,000.00.
Aside from the suspected narcotics, authorities also recovered various personal items from the passenger, including travel documents, boarding passes, an international driving permit, bank cards, a cellular phone, US dollar cash, and a Samsonite luggage bag containing personal belongings.
The suspect is facing charges for violation of Section 4, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Authorities said the confiscated substance will be submitted to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Laboratory Service for examination, while the suspect will undergo inquest proceedings.
