P476M worth of 'shabu' seized in balikbayan boxes from US

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized at least P476 million worth of suspected shabu in three balikbayan boxes that arrived from the United States.

Weighing about 70 kilos, the boxes were intercepted in a consolidator warehouse in Tondo, Manila, according to Mariz Umali’s Wednesday report on “24 Oras.”

It was consigned to aliases Jose and Izang, who live in a high-end subdivision in Bacoor, Cavite.

One of the balikbayan boxes contains 24 kilos of shabu. Another contains 27 kilos, while the third box has 19 kilos.

BOC commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the public is taking advantage of the balikbayan boxes as the Christmas season approaches.

“Christmas season na dadagsa yung balikbayan boxes. Sinisigurado natin ating mga kababayan na iniingatan natin yung pagbubukas ng kanilang mga balikbayan boxes. Kaya lang, ito'y makikita natin na naaabuso po,” Nepomuceno said.

(A large number of balikbayan boxes will be arriving as Christmas draws near. We want to assure our countrymen that we are handling and opening their balikbayan boxes with care. However, we’re also seeing it is being abused.)

The BOC is processing the evidence while the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducts a backtracking investigation to identify the mastermind and file charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Nepomuceno said the BOC is coordinating with the US Homeland Security and consolidators in order to avoid similar incidents.  — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News