The Bureau of Immigration (BI) received an award citing their efforts as part of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIADITG).
In an event held last February 8 at the NAIA Terminal 3, BI Anti-Terrorist Group (ATG) Head Bienvenido Castillo, Jr. received for the agency a recognition for outstanding excellence for the effective and efficient implementation of numerous anti-illegal drug operations within NAIA as part of the NAIA-DITG.
The event, dubbed as the ‘New Year’s Call’, is an annual activity in which the NAIADITG show their appreciation for the efforts and accomplishments of the previous year’s task group.
The BI assists the inter-agency in monitoring and interdicting drug mules.
It can be recalled that in September last year, the BI played a crucial role in the interception of mother-duo tandem identified as Siti Aishah Binte Awang and Nur Alaviyah Binte Hanaffe, both Singaporeans, for smuggling in 6 cookie tin cans and 5 cylindrical chip cans containing 564 pellets with white powdered substance.
The substance, identified as cocaine, totaled more or less 14,360 grams with a current street value of P76,108,000.
In June 2023, the BI was also instrumental in the arrest of Canadian Wendy Jane Marais, who was found with 7.15 kilograms of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, concealed inside bags of individually-wrapped chocolate candies. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is P48,680,000.
