Marijuana worth P29.5M seized at Manila port —BOC

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday said a misdeclared shipment with P29.5 million worth of dried marijuana or kush was seized at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

In a statement, the BOC said the shipment of balikbayan boxes, which arrived from Thailand on April 12, was declared to contain only household items, shoes, and motor parts.

The inspection of the shipment was conducted after authorities received “derogatory information” that it contained illegal drugs, the BOC said.

“We are seeing this modus more and more these days of marijuana being shipped through balikbayan boxes, which have become symbols of the Filipino diaspora,” BOC commissioner Bien Rubio said.

“It’s sad to think that this modus is using something ubiquitous to every Filipino family as a balikbayan box because it degrades what that box symbolizes for us,” he added.

Due to this, a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) was issued for the shipment.

The consignees, senders, and recipients of the balikbayan boxes may face charges for violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News