AIRPORT authorities have arrested a 31-year-old passenger for possession of five grams of suspected shabu at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport—Terminal 3.
The passenger was about to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Cebu when he was flagged by an agent of the Office for Transport Security who noticed a suspicious item in his luggage at the Central Security Screening Checkpoint.
Members of the Police Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) immediately conducted a manual inspection, resulting in the discovery of a white crystalline substance, later confirmed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.
The passenger and the seized drugs worth P34,000 were turned over to PDEA for further investigation and filing of charges under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Joel E. Zurbano
OTS Administrator Undersecretary Arthur Bisnar said this drug interception serves as a reminder of the critical role played by security personnel, whose primary duty is to screen for security-prohibited items but whose vigilance often leads to incidental discoveries that help thwart criminal activities at the airport.
He said, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. to maintain the highest levels of security in all Philippine transportation hubs, the Department of Transportation, through its attached agencies including the OTS, continues to ensure that airports remain secure and free from illegal activities.
