A 43-year-old South African national was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 after authorities found more than P47.6 million worth of suspected shabu in his luggage.
The suspect arrived in the Philippines on Saturday, August 16, when the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group flagged his suitcase during routine inspection. A K-9 unit alerted officers, leading to the discovery of four plastic bags containing over 7 kilograms of the illegal substance hidden among his clothes.
“Actually he tried to conceal that kasi ‘yong droga, di ba kasama nya ‘yong mga damit. There was an effort to conceal ‘yong drogang gusto niyang ipuslit sa ating bansa,” PDEA spokesperson Joseph Frederick Calulut said.
The South African, who identified himself as an electrical engineer, denied knowledge of the drugs. He claimed his luggage was tampered with during transit, saying it was originally wrapped in clear plastic but was later found in blue wrapping. “The clothes inside were mine. The rest wasn’t mine. I don’t know how did it happen,” he told investigators.
Authorities, however, were unconvinced. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed that the suspect is now under custody and will be facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The Bureau of Immigration is also verifying if this was his first time entering the country.
