A domestic air traveler was taken into custody at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 last Wednesday after airport security flagged his baggage at a final screening checkpoint, leading to the discovery of a high-value illegal substance concealed inside a vaping device.
The alert was raised by a Security Screening Officer from the Office for Transportation Security who detected anomalous images on an X-ray monitor. A subsequent physical inspection of the passenger’s backpack, conducted in his presence, turned up a disposable vape cartridge that field-tested positive for illegal substances using a portable spectrometer.
Confirmatory laboratory testing by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency later identified the contents as suspected marijuana oil, or cannabidiol. The cartridge held approximately five milliliters of the substance, with authorities placing its street value at around P300,000.
The PNP-Aviation Security Group effected the arrest on April 15, 2026, after which the suspect was apprised of his constitutional rights in a language he could understand. Seized items were documented, marked, and inventoried before mandatory witnesses before both the suspect and the evidence were transferred to PDEA custody.
The case will proceed under Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, which prohibits the transport of controlled substances regardless of quantity or intended use. Airport authorities reiterated that security protocols at NAIA are designed to flag such violations at every screening layer.
