By Ferdinand Patinio

MANILA – Customs officers intercepted a shipment containing PHP10.2 million worth of shabu at the Port of Clark, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported Friday.
In a statement, Port of Clark District Collector Jairus Reyes said the contraband was hidden inside a shipment of four aluminum tubes, weighing around 1.5 kg.
The shipment arrived from the United States and was falsely declared as a “Black Vinyl Window Made Out of PVC.”
He added that it was flagged for physical examination during the initial profiling of advance copies of documents on Jan. 19.
Upon arrival the following day, the shipment underwent x-ray scanning by the X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), which revealed unusual images.
A subsequent physical inspection uncovered a black vinyl window with tempered glass, where the four aluminum tubes containing shabu were found.
A joint physical examination was conducted with representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office III, Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group, PNP Drug Enforcement Group III, National Bureau of Investigation-Pampanga, and barangay officials of Dau.
“This successful operation highlights our dedication in safeguarding our borders through increased vigilance and close cooperation with our partner agencies,” the BOC official said in a statement.
A warrant of seizure and detention was issued against the subject shipment for violations of Republic Act (RA) 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in relation to RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002). (PNA)