BY BETHEENA UNITE
More than half a kilo of shabu worth P4.5 million stuffed in chocolate wafer tin cans was found hidden in a parcel declared as toys from the United States of America, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) said Thursday.
A total of 640 grams of shabu was discovered in an unclaimed parcel from Las Vegas, Nevada consigned to a certain resident of Hagonoy during an inspection by Customs agents on July 22.
The two packs of shabu were found stuffed in chocolate wafer tin cans mixed with various items like stuffed toy, candy, slippers, and socks.
According to the Port of NAIA, the seized illegal drugs were discovered while customs examiners were conducting 100 percent physical examination of unclaimed DHL cargoes intended to expedite the disposal of abandoned and overstaying cargoes at the NAIA Customs Bonded Warehouses.
“In an apparent attempt to conceal the said shabu, the same were described in the covering Airway Bill as Toys/Present,” the port said.
Both the field test conducted by Customs Anti-illegal Drugs Task Force and the Chemical Laboratory Analysis by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed that the seized items as methamphetamine hydrochloride otherwise known as “shabu”.
The seized illegal drugs were immediately coordinated to the PDEA for further profiling and case buildup against the importers and responsible persons for possible prosecution.
