PDEA, BOC intercept ₱209M worth of meth and marijuana in dual drug ops

On Sunday, February 9, authorities intercepted a major drug smuggling attempt at Pier 5 in Cebu City, leading to the arrest of two suspects—a mother and her son—who are now under the custody of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region VII.

The Bureau of Customs seized approximately P170 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride during a routine inspection of a merchant vessel transporting vehicles and cargo, after a K9 unit detected illegal substances inside a carton in a Mitsubishi Mirage.

In a separate operation at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), authorities intercepted ₱39 million worth of marijuana concealed in two balikbayan boxes from Canada, originally declared to contain used household goods.

Customs agents confirmed 108 vacuum-sealed pouches containing kush within the boxes, bound for San Mateo, Rizal, and will file charges against the consignees under customs and anti-drug laws.

The Seaport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group-VII (SIDITG-VII), comprising multiple agencies including the BOC-Port of Cebu and PDEA Region VII, successfully thwarted both smuggling attempts through coordinated efforts.