The Bureau of Customs through its Port of Clark intercepted four shipments containing marijuana resin and high-grade marijuana known as kush with a combined estimated value of P10.15 million.[1] The operation was carried out with the Clark Inter-Agency Task Force Against Illegal Drugs after intelligence from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency flagged the cargo.[2]
Two shipments from California arrived on July 1 and were consigned to recipients in Caloocan City and Valenzuela City.[3] Declared as a custom-printed wedding photo and a letter notebook, they were examined on July 3, yielding two pouches of suspected marijuana resin in each shipment.[3] The resin weighed a total of 1,618 grams, comprising 810 grams and 808 grams, and was valued at P2.427 million.[3] Two shipments from Thailand arrived on July 3 and were addressed to the same recipient in Taguig City.[3] Declared as used clothing, they held eight plastic bags of suspected high-grade marijuana or kush weighing 5,142 grams and valued at P7.723 million.[3]
All four shipments had undergone X-ray scanning and K-9 sniff tests that gave positive indications for drugs, prompting 100 percent physical examinations.[1] Initial testing with a Rigaku spectrometer indicated the presence of cannabinoids.[3] Samples were turned over to the PDEA for confirmatory laboratory examination.[3] Warrants of seizure and detention were issued against the shipments for violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in relation to Republic Act No. 9165.[1] BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said air express shipments remain a frequent target for drug smugglers and stressed tighter monitoring and training at air express warehouses.[2]
