BOC-XIP scores again; P29 million cocaine seized

On Mar 21, 2023

XIP-BOC head Atty. Lourdes Mangaoang, viewing the cocaine found hidden by her inspectors from several bars of soap brought in by the suspect, Kemal Ozenir from Turkey (seated) who arrived from Brazil via a direct flight from Dubai (photo: XIP).

THE X-Ray Inspection Project of the Bureau of Customs (XIP-BOC) under Atty. Lourdes Mangaoang continues to make headways in the campaign against the entry of illegal drugs, this time discovering a shipment of cocaine from the check-in baggage of a Turkish national who arrived at the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in the late afternoon of March 21, 2023.

Mangaoang, in her initial report to Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, said Turkish passenger Kemal Ozenir was immediately arrested after alert XIP inspectors confirmed the presence of cocaine hidden from some 22 bars of soap and bottles of shampoos found inside his baggage.

The flight manifest showed that Ozenir came from Brazil via Dubai on board Flight EK332 of the United Arab Emirates, arriving at around 4:00 pm, Manila time.

The bars of “soap,” weighing 3.945 kilos brought in by the suspect that contained the cocaine. The effort at concealment by the suspect failed after the illegal drugs was still detected by the XIP (photo: XIP).

The initial report also placed the weight of the illegal drugs at 3.945 kilos valued at P29 million.

The Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) of the BOC earlier alerted the NAIA and the XIP to be on alert for the arrival of the suspect, Mangaong added.

This would be the fourth time this month that the XIP leads the way in the apprehension of illegal drugs in the country’s premier entry point.

Only last Monday, March 20, 2023, Rubio and Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Juvymax Uy, were at the Pair Cargo of the NAIA to inspect the apprehension of some 58.93 kilos of shabu from Guinea, West Africa, valued at more than P400 million after it was detected by the XIP (see related article here). It was thus far, the government’s biggest drug seizure at the point of entry.

Last March 10, 2023, thru the XIP, the BOC also seized at the Pair Cargo Warehouse 11.756 kilos of shabu worth P79.971 million from Punjab, Pakistan. This was followed two days later with the seizure of 6 kilos of shabu worth P40.8 million from the luggage of a female passenger from Madagasy, Madagascar.