Authorities arrested a Ugandan businessman after allegedly attempting to smuggle ₱42.5 million worth of suspected shabu into the Philippines through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported on Wednesday.
The suspect, identified by PDEA as a 45-year-old man named Adnan, arrived from Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Tuesday night. During a routine baggage inspection, airport personnel found the illegal substance hidden inside his gray luggage.
“Upon inspection of his gray luggage, authorities discovered five improvised packaging tape bags containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, concealed among assorted clothes, toys, and other personal items,” PDEA said in a statement.
Investigators seized the suspect’s Ugandan passport, boarding pass, bank cards, mobile phone, U.S. dollar bills, and a company ID, all of which were turned over as evidence.
The confiscated substance will undergo laboratory testing to confirm its composition. Meanwhile, Adnan faces inquest proceedings for violating Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act, which penalizes the importation of illegal drugs.
