The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized around 200 kilograms of suspected shabu worth approximately ₱1.3 billion after discovering the illegal drugs hidden among carton boxes inside a 40-foot shipping container at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, together with officials from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Philippine National Police (PNP), attended the viewing of the seized drugs presented to the media.
Authorities said the shipment originated from Lao PDR and was loaded in Haiphong, Vietnam. It was flagged following an intelligence report received by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) from the PDEA Intelligence Service.
The CIIS is now coordinating with PDEA and the PNP Drug Enforcement Group to trace the shipment's origin and identify those behind the attempted smuggling.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno assured the public that the country's ports would not be allowed to become entry points for illegal drugs, vowing to strengthen intelligence gathering, inspection and coordination with law enforcement agencies.
