The Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported Wednesday it has once again intercepted an estimated P158.745 million worth of suspected dried marijuana or kush concealed in balikbayan boxes from Thailand on March 18.
In a physical examination by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) on Monday, 132.288 kilograms of marijuana were found in vacuum-sealed packages inside six balikbayan boxes.
The BOC said the boxes were consigned to a certain Mary Gail Quesada and Rainier Quesada via the Marcelo D. Laylo Cargo Forwarders.
Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said that sending balikbayan boxes is a simple tradition of Filipinos to give gifts to their families and friends. Now, the boxes are being used by criminals to smuggle illegal drugs into the country.
“No matter how many times they try, the full utilization of our personnel in shipment monitoring and available resources will foil any smuggling attempt,” Rubio added.
CIIS Director Verne Enciso said that the MICP requested the issuance of an alert order last February 28, after receiving derogatory information that the shipment contains illegal drugs and other misdeclared and undeclared items.
According to Enciso, the shipment was originally declared as consolidated balikbayan boxes and personal effects from Thailand.
“We’ve already seen this modus before, so after vetting the information that we received, we immediately went to work to thwart this smuggling activity,” Enciso added.
The first balikbayan box contained 20 vacuum-sealed packages with 1,009 grams per package, the second box contained 25 vacuum-sealed packages with 1,047 grams per package, and 25 vacuum-sealed packages with 1,034 grams per package were found in the third box.
Additionally, there were also 20 vacuum-sealed packages with 1,007 grams per package in the fourth box and 20 vacuum-sealed packages with 1,021 grams per package in the fifth box.
In the sixth box, 15 vacuum-sealed packages with 1,021 grams of marijuana per package and 16 vacuum-sealed packages with 263 grams of kush cake and cream per package were found.
The BOC said all six balikbayan boxes were returned to the container for safekeeping while confirmatory samples were sent over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The boxes examined were witnessed by the assigned Customs examiner, CIIS, Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Environmental Protection and Compliance Division (EPCD), and PDEA, the BOC added.
According to the BOC, the consignees, senders, and recipients of the balikbayan boxes will possibly face charges in violation of Section 118 (Prohibited Importation and Exportation) and Section 1400 (Misdeclaration) in goods declaration in relation to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
Image credits: Bureau of Customs