SEIZED. A Customs officer shows the transparent plastic pouch containing shabu seized from a South African national at the NAIA Terminal 3 on Oct. 12, 2024. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday (Oct. 15) said the foreigner has been charged for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. (Photo courtesy of BOC)
MANILA – Charges have been filed against the South African national who was caught with PHP42.1 million worth of shabu at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported on Tuesday.
In a statement, the BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) said charges of violations of Republic Act (RA) 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and RA 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act) were filed against 31-year-old Phillip Theunissen before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office on Oct. 13.
The foreigner was particularly charged with violation of Article II of RA 9165 for the importation of dangerous drugs and Section 1401 (unlawful importation) of CMTA.
A joint team from the BOC, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group apprehended the foreigner at the NAIA Terminal 3 at about 9:20 p.m. on Oct. 12.
Theunissen yielded 6.2 kg. of shabu in a transparent plastic pouch wrapped with black duct tape and packaging tape which was found inside his black luggage.
“Many transnational syndicates and organizations continue to use our ports as corridors to smuggle illegal drugs and disseminate them from Metro Manila to far-flung provinces. With many others, our agents were hard at work in disrupting these criminal networks,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said.
BOC-CIIS Director Verne Enciso said the efficient profiling of passengers and x-ray image analysis led to the apprehension of the suspect.
“Our agents immediately became suspicious with the check-in luggage because of the x-ray imaging results. It was marked “x” as it underwent K-9 sweeping that also resulted in positive indications,” he said.
The foreigner is now under the custody of PDEA in Quezon City.
The seized suspected drug evidence was inventoried, marked, photographed and submitted to the agency’s Laboratory Service for analysis. (PNA)
