FOUR passengers arriving from Thailand were immediately arrested at the NAIA Terminal 3 after their luggage were found to include 41.851 kilos of high grade marijuana (‘Kush’) worth ₱62 million.
The passengers, whose nationalities and identities were not disclosed, arrived last July 30, NAIA District Collector Atty. Yasmin O. Mapa, informed Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno during an initial report of the incident.
Mapa said the contraband was discovered during a routine baggage screening by personnel from the X-Ray Inspection Project (XIP). The subsequent 100 percent examination of their baggage resulted to the discovery of the contraband.
The operation was conducted through the coordinated efforts of the BOC, Enforcement and Security Service–Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (ESS-CAIDTF), NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), XIP, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Bureau of Immigration.
The entire operation was documented with Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) to ensure transparency, accountability, and compliance with procedures, Mapa noted further.