P1.6M worth of Ecstasy pills seized by Port Clark by Philippines Customs Bureau
Bureau of Customs, Philippines – Amidst the challenges brought by the pandemic, Port of Clark remains committed in protecting the borders against the entry of smuggled prohibited drugs in the country as it seized 988 pieces of Ecstasy tablets and unidentified broken pieces with an estimated value of P1.6-million last September 01, 2020.
The shipment declared as “Air humidifier”, which arrived on 01 September 2020 from Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, was subjected to non-intrusive examination which revealed images of various tablets similar to that of the previously apprehended ecstasy. This prompted the physical examination of the subject shipment which yielded an air humidifier and 988 pieces of tablets in assorted colors.
Samples were immediately taken for the conduct of laboratory testing and chemical analysis which confirmed that the qualitative examination showed positive result for the presence of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or commonly known as “Ecstasy”, a dangerous drug under R.A. No. 9165.
On September 2, 2020, a Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued by District Collector Atty. Ruby Alameda against the shipment for violation of Sections 118 (g), 119 (d) and 1113 (f), (i) & (l) of R.A. No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to R.A. No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and the same was turned- over to PDEA for proper disposition.
To date, this is the 18th shipment of illegal drugs that the Port of Clark has seized and in sum, over Php 34-million worth of prohibited drugs such as marijuana and ecstasy were seized by the port this year.
District Collected Atty. Alameda commended personnel instrumental for the said apprehension and acknowledged their vigilance and dedication to service despite the risks brought by the pandemic.
The Port of Clark will remain steadfast in its mandate to protect the country’s borders by preventing the entry of prohibited goods.
