Drug smugglers fail to use talc stones to hide “bato”

Closer watch on Afghanistan shipments ordered

On Aug 24, 2026

PHILIPPINE Commissioner of Customs Ariel F. Nepomuceno watching intently as a Customs officer shows the illegal drugs packed inside hardened fabric made to look like talc stone. The contraband totaling more than 43 kilos is valued at ₱292.4 million, the agency said (photo: BOC-PIAD).

DRUG smugglers continue to get creative—and continue to get frustrated—after operatives from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) intercepted a huge shipment of shabu (colloquially known as “bato”) ingeniously wrapped inside hardened fabrics and made to look like talc stones.

At a press conference on August 20, Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, PDEA Director Derrick Carreon, Manila International Container Port (MICP) District Collector Atty. Geoffrey De Vera and other officials, showed the seized illicit cargo from Afghanistan weighing approximately 43 kilos with an estimated street value of ₱292.4 million.

The shipment was loaded in two container vans mixed with genuine talc stones placed in huge white polypropylene (PP) bags. Talc stones is a raw material with various industrial and chemical applications.

Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno explaining the circumstances behind the discovery of the shabu from Afghanistan despite the great effort by drug smugglers to hide the contraband. He is flank by his Chief of Staff, Assistant Secretary Atty. Jek Casipit and PDEA Director Derrick Carreon (photo: BOC-PIAD).

During the examination, authorities discovered the illegal drugs concealed inside fabric pouches coated with a material resembling plaster of Paris and crafted to blend with the shipment’s declared contents.

Confirmatory laboratory tests on representative samples subsequently confirmed the presence of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.

The Customs Chief added they are now placing all shipments from Afghanistan under closer scrutiny, noting that last February 10, another container shipment from Afghanistan declared as “marble” were discovered to contain some 40 kilos of illegal drugs worth ₱272 million.

Commissioner Nepomuceno emphasized the role of risk management and vigilant border controls in preventing illegal drugs from entering the country.

“Ang operasyong ito ay patunay na effective ang mahigpit na profiling at risk management ng Bureau of Customs.

“By closely monitoring high-risk shipments and identifying recurring smuggling patterns, mas napapalakas natin ang ating kakayahan na pigilan ang pagpasok ng illegal drugs sa bansa. Pinasasalamatan natin ang PDEA sa kanilang mahalagang ambag sa matagumpay na pagkakasabat na ito,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.

The name of the consignee and the customs broker who facilitated the shipment were not revealed, however, as the investigation continues.