MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday said it has confiscated ecstasy tablets and Kush marijuana estimated to worth over P3 million at different warehouses in Pasay City.

In a statement, the BOC said operatives from Customs-Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) through the Port’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group seized the illegal drugs that were found concealed in air parcels.

A total of 1,681 tablets of ecstasy with an estimated street value of P2,857,700 were found inside a microwave oven, while 133 grams of Kush Marijuana estimated at P159,600 was found inside a metal toy box.

In sum, the seized ecstasy and marijuana have an aggregate value of P3,017,300, the BOC said.

Based on records, the bureau said the seized ecstasy was shipped from the Netherlands and consigned to a recipient from Quezon City, while the intercepted Kush marijuana was shipped from the USA and consigned to a certain individual from Pasay City.

The BOC said the parcels have been turned over to the PDEA on Tuesday for case profiling and build up for possible violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165) in relation to Section 119 (Restricted Importation) and Section1401 (Unlawful Importation) of Republic Act 10863 otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday said it has apprehended P3.2 million worth of used clothing or “ukay-ukay” in Pasay City.

The BOC said the Manila International Container Port’s (MICP) Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), in coordination with the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) seized 400 bales of used clothing in an inspection at a storage facility in Malibay on Wednesday.

The composite team was armed with a letter of authority signed by BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero when they conducted the inspection, the bureau added.

“The apprehension of ukay-ukay in Pasay marks the 2nd apprehension of MICP for the week as the Port also apprehended last March 23, 2021, Php 48 Million worth of smuggled cigarettes from China which were declared as cartons, bicycles, and folding tables,” the BOC said in a statement.

The agency said further investigation and inventory are underway for possible filing of cases against the yet-to-be-determined owner of the items for the possible violation of Section 1400 of RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

“As continuous efforts are implemented to stimulate the economy from the effects of COVID-19, the Manila International Container Port under the guidance of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero remains committed to pursuing its mandate to secure the country’s borders from the entry of illegal goods,” the BOC added.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday said it has facilitated the clearance and release of 400,000 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines donated by China from the port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

In a statement, the BOC said the second batch of Sinovac vaccine donations was cleared for release a day after it arrived in Manila.

The first 600,000 doses of vaccine arrived last February 28, which was welcomed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero assured the public that the BOC will continue to expedite the processing, clearance, and release of Covid-19 vaccines and related shipments amid the rapid surge of infections in the country.

The BOC-NAIA also committed to further strengthen collaborations with other agencies – the Department of Health (DOH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – to ensure that only safe and registered Covid-19 related goods will be cleared and process to protect the public.

The country is expecting to receive almost 2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of the month through the government’s negotiations with Sinovac and through the WHO-led COVAX Facility.

One million of which are procured from China’s Sinovac, while the remaining 979,200 doses are the additional  AstraZeneca doses donated through COVAX Facility.