The Bureau of Customs (BOC) – Port of Clark, in close coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF), X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), arrested the consignee of 1,900 grams of High-Grade Marijuana or “Kush” with an estimated value of P3.135 million on May 13, 2024.
Upon receiving derogatory information from PDEA, the shipment declared as “hooded sweatshirt”, which arrived on May 9, 2024, was immediately subjected to x-ray scanning and K9 sniffing. Both inspections indicated possible presence of illegal drugs.

Physical examination led to the discovery of four (4) pouches of dried leaves and fruiting tops suspected to be High-Grade Marijuana or “Kush”. The said pouches were found concealed in hooded sweatshirts. Specimen samples of the dried leaves and fruiting tops were then taken and turned over to PDEA for Chemical laboratory analysis, which later confirmed that said substances are indeed Marijuana, a dangerous drug under Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9165, as amended.

A Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued by District Collector Erastus Sandino B. Austria 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, as amended.

Controlled delivery operations by the operatives of BOC-Clark and PDEA in Antipolo, Rizal resulted to the arrest of a 23-year-old male claimant. The arrested claimant was detained by PDEA Region III for filing of appropriate charges under R.A. No. 9165, as amended.

District Collector Austria credited CAIDTF, ESS, CIIS, XIP, and the Customs Examiner for their vigilance. He highlighted that inter-agency cooperation with PDEA, improved personnel profiling, and modern BOC technologies were crucial in intercepting these illegal drugs.

Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio stated that the BOC remains vigilant against drug smuggling, and will continuously pursue pro-active coordination with partner government enforcement agencies, coupled with the use of advanced technology and deployment of well-trained personnel in all ports, to ensure the timely detection and prevention of entry of illegal drugs and substances into the country. #