2 South Africans caught with P97-M shabu at Naia

Facade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities thwarted the attempt of two South African nationals to smuggle into the country some P97.8 million worth of shabu at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 in Pasay City past midnight Friday.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the unnamed suspects were arrested by the Naia Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group at the international arrival area of Terminal 3 at about 1 a.m., according to a news release.

The suspects yielded 14 kg of shabu concealed in their baggage, along with mobile phones, travel documents, and identification cards.

During scanning at the arrival area, a Customs X-ray inspector noticed the suspicious items.

After undergoing K-9 inspection, their baggage yielded a positive indication of the presence of dangerous drugs.

A subsequent physical examination confirmed that the crystalline substance found inside the baggage was shabu.

Based on their flight details, the suspects arrived via Emirates Airline from Johannesburg, South Africa, with a connecting flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, enroute to the Philippines.

According to the suspects, they were enticed by a Nigerian friend from South Africa with an all-expense-paid travel to Manila, where they were instructed to meet another Nigerian as soon as they arrive.

READ: S. African traveler caught with P35.8-M ‘shabu’ at Naia

The seized drugs were brought to the PDEA for documentation and disposition procedures.

The suspects will face charges for violating Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act), which pertains to the importation of dangerous drugs that carries a penalty of life imprisonment and fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million.