THE Bureau of Customs – Port of Clark announced it had stopped an attempt to export P7.507 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as ‘shabu,’ in a shipment declared as “shaft drive model” bound for New Zealand on January 3, 2024.
PoC district collector, Atty. Erastus Sandino ‘Dino’ Austria, in a report to BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, said the shipment was traced to have come from Parañaque City and was initially tagged as ‘suspicious’ by X-Ray Inspection (XIP) personnel.
Subsequent physical inspection aided by K9 dogs resulted to the discovery of 3 packs of white crystalline substances weighing 1,104 grams (1.104 kilos) concealed inside a shaft drive that was later confirmed to be shabu.
Sandino said he immediately ordered the shipment seized even as he commended PoC personnel for their vigilance and alertness.
The identity of the actual shipper is yet to be revealed.
“The BOC under the stewardship of Commissioner Rubio vowed to remain vigilant and ensure that intensified security measures are put in place as part of the bureau’s continuing enhanced anti-illegal drug smuggling campaign,” Austria said in a brief statement to the media released by the Public Information and Assistance Division (PIAD) last January 10, 2024.