Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga – The Port of Clark, together with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), apprehended the claimant of a shipment containing 2,378 grams of Kush Marijuana worth P3,923,700.00 on April 13, 2023, in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
The BOC discovered the illegal drugs during a physical examination on April 12 of a shipment from California, USA, said to contain “Tevana Green Herbal Tea.” The shipment underwent usual K9 sniffing and X-ray scanning procedures and was immediately subjected to physical examination, which led to the discovery of five tin cans containing dried leaves suspected to be Kush Marijuana.
Representative samples were then taken and turned over to PDEA for chemical laboratory analysis, which confirmed the presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol/Marijuana, a dangerous drug under the Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
On April 13, joint elements of the Port of Clark and PDEA conducted a controlled delivery operation to the consignee’s address in Sta. Cruz, Manila, which led to the arrest of a 27-year-old male claimant.
District Collector John Simon will issue a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the subject shipment for violating 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.
A criminal case will be filed against the apprehended claimant for violating R.A. 9165.
“Our anti-drug smuggling effort once again resulted in success. We recognize the vigilance of our personnel and the support of PDEA in our drug apprehensions,” Collector Simon said in a statement. “The Port of Clark will continue to further reinforce and maximize our capabilities to prevent the entry of illegal drugs into the country,” he added.
“The BOC ensures that illegal drugs do not enter our borders through our intensified anti-illegal drug measures. Our unprecedented performance in border protection and revenue collection proves that BOC personnel are committed to the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said.#
