P1.4-M worth of high-grade marijuana confiscated at NAIA

A package containing P1.4 million worth of high-grade marijuana or kush was confiscated by authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday, according to a report by Cecille Villarosa on GMA News' Unang Balita on Tuesday.

The package from Illinois, USA contained more than three kilos of kush.

It was declared as chips and old clothes.

The package arrived at NAIA on June 25 and was consigned to a Joseph Mariano.

However, Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel found the package suspicious due to its smell.

"It was discovered during the conduct of physical examination by our Customs examiners. And during the examination, naamoy nila na mayroong marijuana-like smells," said Atty. Marlon Agaceta of the BOC Port of Naia Law Division.

The BOC then sent the package to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for testing.

The test result yielded positive for high-grade marijuana.

PDEA said its value is P1.4 million.

A San Juan resident (left) was arrested by Customs officers after a parcel he was claiming at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City on Monday, July 1, 2019 contained 3.46 kg of marijuana or kush worth P1.4 million. The contraband was found inside a tortilla chip package from Illinois, USA. Danny Pata

On Monday afternoon, Jake Ryan Soriano, the representative of consignee Mariano, showed up at the Central Mail Exchange Center at NAIA in Pasay City to claim the package.

He was then arrested by authorities.

Soriano declined to give a statement or divulge who sent the package.

He also refused to say whether the consignee's name is an alias or not, and if he is related to that person. —KG, GMA News