Dateline: Pasay City, Philippines – Agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in a coordinated effort with the NAIA-Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, intercepted a parcel containing approximately PHP111 million worth of shabu hidden within hand-made paintings at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the illicit drugs were concealed in wax and embedded inside a shipment of five paintings, which were stored at a cargo warehouse. The operation took place around 3 p.m. The intercepted items were declared as “handmade cultural craft paintings” originating from Mexico and were addressed to a male recipient in Barangay Gaya-Gaya, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan. The total gross weight of the contraband was reported to be 16.34 kilograms.
Following the discovery, the seized substances along with the paintings were transported to the PDEA office for further documentation and proper disposition. This recent bust underscores ongoing effor
ts by Philippine authorities to curb drug trafficking through creative concealment methods in international shipments.