A 32-year-old South African national was arrested after at least four kilos of suspected shabu were found in his luggage upon his arrival at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Lapu-Lapu City.
The foreigner was intercepted past 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2025, after the suspected shabu in his luggage was found concealed in boxes that resemble book slipcases.
The luggage went through an X-ray machine that detected the suspicious substance.
Chemists from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 took samples of the suspicious substance from two large plastic packs, right in front of the suspect, and submitted the samples to an initial screening.
As the samples tested positive of methamphetamine, the suspect was arrested immediately; the Miranda Rights was read out to him.
Based on the Dangerous Drugs Board, the haul has a standard value of P27.2 million.
The foreigner started sobbing. He reasoned out that a friend in South Africa requested him to hand over two large books to another friend the moment he arrives in Cebu.
He said he has trusted his friend, so he brought the items with him without checking.
He added that he was not paid for the favor, citing that the person is a close friend.
The suspect is said to be an IT technician, married, and has three children, and on his first international trip.
He further said that he is on a five-day trip in Cebu.
Further, authorities said it remains a question as to how the suspect passed through Johannesburg, South Africa and Hong Kong, before reaching MCIA, without the contraband being detected.
Moreover, the suspect is set to undergo a medical examination after he swallowed allegedly an object.
