Authorities arrested a Russian woman after suspected high-grade cocaine was found in her luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, Monday night.
Customs district collector Ed Macabeo identified the Russian as Novopashina Anastaiia, 32, who arrived on board Emirates Air flight EK 332 from Sao Paulo Brazil via Dubai at about 4:25 p.m..She was arrested at 8:45 p.m.
NAIA inter-agency drug interdiction task group found a hard time in separating the suspected cocaine from the Russian’s three jackets, sleeping bag and other belongings because the drug is hard and very sticky, the report said.
Prior to her arrest, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) received information from the United States anti-narcotics authorities that a Russian woman passenger was bringing with her undetermined amount of cocaine hidden in her personal belongings.
Drug enforcers with their drug-sniffing dogs were immediately dispatched and waited for Anastaiia to pick up her belongings.
During inspection, Customs and PDEA agents found undetermined amount of suspected cocaine embedded in the fibers and linings of three jackets, one sleeping bag, straps of backpack and foam of her other bags.
Derrick Carreon, PDEA information officer, said the actual weight of the suspected cocaine will be determined by PDEA laboratory as inventory was still going as of yesterday.
Anastaiia was turned over to the custody of PDEA for filing of appropriate charges. (ARIEL FERNANDEZ & CHITO CHAVEZ)
