MANILA – Authorities arrested a 45-year-old Ugandan national at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Tuesday night after discovering 6,250 grams of suspected shabu valued at ₱42.5 million hidden in his luggage.
According to a statement released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday, the suspect, identified only by the alias “Adnan,” arrived in Manila from Antananarivo, Madagascar around 8 p.m., with a connecting flight from Ethiopia. During routine inspection, authorities found five improvised packaging tape bags containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu, concealed among assorted clothes, toys, and personal belongings inside his gray suitcase.
Confiscated items included the gray luggage containing the illegal drugs, an Ugandan passport, a boarding pass, a black backpack, bank cards, U.S. dollar bills, a mobile phone, and a company identification card. All seized evidence has been turned over to the PDEA Laboratory Service for further analysis and proper documentation.
The successful operation was conducted through the coordination of the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, which includes the PDEA, Bureau of Customs–Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, Airport Police Department, PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), National Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Immigration.
The suspect is now facing charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, specifically for the importation of illegal drugs. Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to intensify airport monitoring and strengthen anti-drug operations to prevent smuggling attempts through the country’s major gateways.
