The Bureau of Customs – Port of Clark, together with the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF), Enforcement & Security Service (ESS), Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) & Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), remains committed to protecting the country’s borders against the entry of illegal drugs as it arrested claimants of seized 1,200 grams of Ketamine with a total street value of Php 6 million last May 17, 2022.

The said illegal drugs were discovered in two shipments which arrived on different dates. The first shipment arrived on April 30, 2022, declared as “6 pcs water hilter water purifier” from Klang, Malaysia while the second shipment arrived on May 12, 2022, said to contain a “sharp air purifier haze mood” from Shah Alam, Malaysia. Both shipments were subjected to x-ray scanning which revealed organic substances that prompted the conduct of the physical examination. 100% physical examination led to the findings of 600 grams of crystalline substance concealed inside the purifier’s filter elements and 600 grams of crystalline substance in four (4) self-sealing aluminum foil concealed inside the air purifier, respectively.

The CAIDTF conducted K9 sweeping which showed positive indications of illegal drugs and field testing which yielded a positive result for the presence of “Special K, Ketamine”. Representative samples were then taken and turned over to PDEA for chemical laboratory analysis. The results of the analysis confirmed that said crystalline substances are indeed Ketamine, a dangerous drug under R.A. 9165.

Warrants of Seizure and Detention were issued by District Collector Alexandra Lumontad against the subject shipments for violation of Sections 118 (g), 119 (d), and 1113 (f) of the Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10863 in relation to Section 4 of R.A. No. 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

On May 17, 2022, joint elements of BOC & PDEA conducted a controlled delivery operation to the consignees’ address in Makati City and Malate, Manila which resulted in the arrest of three (3) claimants, two (2) of which were Taiwanese nationals.

District Collector Alexandra Lumontad said that the increased number of drug apprehensions may be attributed to the port’s profiling capabilities and vigilance in detecting shipments that may contain illegal drugs. Consistent with the Bureau’s campaign against illegal drugs under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and the war on drugs of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Port of Clark commits to further reinforce its border protection measures.