Close to 60 kilos of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu were seized by authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday night.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said it has an estimated street value of of over P400 million.

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, with BOC Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy, inspected a shipment from Guinea, Africa said to contain spare parts on March 20, 2023, at the Pair Cargo Warehouse in Pasay City.

Reports said that the package consisted of five boxes.

The said shipment was consigned to a certain Edward Fajardo. X-ray and K-9 inspection resulted in the boxes getting flagged as suspicious.

The NAIA Customs X-Ray Operatives found it highly dubious and a physical examination was conducted by the Customs Examiner which yielded 58.93 kilograms of Shabu.

Come Monday evening, Melanio Lopez and Steve Caro went to the NAIA complex to claim the package.

Authorities opened the package and discovered a huge amount of illegal drugs.

Lopez and Caro were immediately placed under arrest.

Lopez said he didn’t know what was in the package. Caro opted not to give any comment.

The PDEA is currently conducting an investigation on the consignee who is set to undergo inquest proceedings for violation of RA 9165 and RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization Act (CMTA).

Catherine R. Cueto