THE Bureau of Customs-Port of Clark (BOC-Clark) stopped a shipment from the US that was found to contain over P700,000 worth of cocaine and declared as “hoodies and t-shirts.”
Based on records, the shipment came from Los Angeles, California, USA. It underwent profiling by a Customs Examiner, then through K-9 sniffing and x-ray scanning procedures, both of which indicated the presence of illegal drugs. After a physical examination, a container was found to contain a white powdered substance suspected to be illegal drugs.
The BOC-Clark estimated that the shipment contain 135.24 grams of cocaine valued at P716,772.00.
Samples were taken and handed over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for chemical laboratory analysis, which confirmed the substance as cocaine, a dangerous drug under Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
A Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued against the subject shipment for violation of Section 118 (g), 119 (d), and 1113 par. f, I, and l (3 and 4) of R.A. No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to R.A. No. 9165.
District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria acknowledged the vigilance of BOC personnel that prevented the shipment containing illegal drugs from entering the country and pointed to the crucial coordination between the BOC and PDEA in fully implementing Port of Clark’s intensified border security measures.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio commended BOC-Port of Clark and PDEA for their cooperative efforts. “The BOC will not waver in our fight against illicit drugs and will continue to put in more effort alongside our partner agencies to eradicate drug trafficking and smuggling into our nation.”
(PHOTO CREDIT: BOC Facebook page)