Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga – Through its strengthened profiling capabilities, the Bureau of Customs – Port of Clark uncovered 135.24 grams of cocaine valued at P716,772.00 on November 22.

Records show that the shipment which was declared to contain “hoodies and t-shirts” from Los Angeles, California, USA, underwent profiling by a Customs Examiner. Subsequently, K9 sniffing and x-ray scanning procedures were conducted, both indicating the presence of illegal drugs. A physical examination followed, revealing a container with a white powdered substance suspected to be illegal drugs.

Samples were taken and handed over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for chemical laboratory analysis, confirming 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 B. Austria acknowledged the vigilance of personnel in preventing the entry of illegal drugs into the country. He emphasized the crucial coordination between the BOC and PDEA in fully implementing Port of Clark’s intensified border security measures.

The Port of Clark remains committed in combating illegal activities and ensuring the security of the country’s borders as aligned with the directives of Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio and President Ferdinand Marco Jr. to curb all forms of smuggling, especially the trafficking of illegal drugs that can destroy the lives of many individuals.

Commissioner 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.”