NASABAT ng Bureau of Customs–Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) personnel ang mga package na naglalaman ng iligal na drogang nakatago sa mga figurines at nagkakahalaga ng P114,566,400.
Ang nasabing operation ay isinagawa January 8, 2026, sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) at nagbunga ng pagkakakumpiska ng nasabing shipment na mula Congo at naka-consign sa isang residente mula Quezon City.
Deklarado bilang malachite stones ang nasabing shipment at ito ay na-flag sa x-ray inspection matapos makita ang mga kahina-hinalang imahe.
Lumitaw sa verification at 100 percent physical examination ang pagkakadiskubre ng apat na naglalaman ng suspected illegal drugs na tumutimbang ng 4,320 grams, 3,622 grams, 4,599 grams at 4,307 grams, na may kabuuang timbang na 16,848 grams.
Inihayag naman ni BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno na ang nasabing operasyon ay bunsod ng direktiba ni President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. na paigtingin ang border protection at pigilan ang pagpasok ng illegal drugs sa bansa.
Lahat ng nakumpiskang items at mga sangkot na indibidwal ay nai-turn over na sa PDEA para sa kaukulang disposisyon at imbestigasyon para sa kasong paglabag sa Republic Act No. 9165 o Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended at Republic Act No. 10863, o Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Binigyang-diin ni Nepomuceno na: “This is not just about enforcement. It is about protecting our communities. The Bureau will remain relentless in screening, inspecting, and stopping illegal drugs at our borders.”
Sa kanyang panig, binigyang-diin ni BOC-NAIA District Collector Atty. Yasmin O. Mapa ang kahalagahan ng ‘vigilance and inter-agency coordination.’
Aniya, “This result highlights the value of strict risk profiling and close coordination among enforcement units and partner agencies. Our personnel remain alert and ready to act on any shipment that poses a threat to public safety.”
“The BOC continues to strengthen its border control measures, reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the country’s borders and protecting the Filipino people,” pagtitiyak pa ni Mapa.
