Authorities intercepted approximately P29 million worth of suspected high-grade marijuana, or kush, concealed in balikbayan boxes from Canada at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) in Tondo, Manila this week.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) conducted the operation on Friday, discovering over 20 kilograms of suspected marijuana packed in vacuum-sealed plastic bags inside two balikbayan boxes from Ontario, Canada.
According to PDEA spokesperson Atty. Joseph Frederick Calulut, the shipment was flagged during initial screening by the BOC, which led to further checks using K9 units. Both tests returned positive results, prompting authorities to open the boxes.
In addition to the suspected kush, authorities also confiscated over 600 grams of marijuana oil from the same shipment.
“This is a significant amount that could have reached many buyers. We know that kush is an emerging drug, especially among young people. Fortunately, through our partnership with BOC, we were able to prevent its entry and distribution in the market,” Calulut stated.
PDEA is investigating possible links between this seizure and a previous P39-million kush shipment intercepted at the same port in February.
“There seems to be a pattern of individuals attempting to smuggle kush from Canada. We are gathering more evidence for a deeper investigation into how these dangerous drugs are being brought into the country,” Calulut added.
The confiscated substances have been sent to PDEA’s laboratory for further examination.
