Following the marching orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify the national campaign against illegal drugs, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) through the Port of Clark, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency–Airport Interdiction Unit (PDEA-AIU), intercepted a shipment containing 5,062 grams of Ketamine, a dangerous drug, concealed in a wooden cable reel declared as “Data Cable Roll.”
The shipment valued at ₱25,310,000, which originated from Belgium, was bound for San Rafael, Rizal.
Arriving on July 24, 2025, the parcel was flagged for physical examination due to suspicious details in its declaration. On July 30, a K-9 sniff test by PDEA operatives detected illegal substances, prompting a full inspection.
A 19-kilogram wooden cable reel, suspiciously covered with spray foam, was found to contain six transparent plastic pouches of a white crystalline substance. Laboratory testing confirmed it to be Ketamine, classified as a dangerous drug under Republic Act No. 9165, as amended.
A Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued for violations of Sections 118(g), 119(d), and 1113 (f), (i), and (l) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), in relation to RA 9165.
District Collector Jairus S. Reyes praised the vigilance and profiling expertise of the Customs frontliners at the Port of Clark.
“The Port maintains a firm watch over any attempt to bring in prohibited drugs. Our operations directly protect public health and welfare, ensuring a safer future for our communities,” Reyes said.
Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno emphasized that the fight against illegal drugs remains a matter of national interest, adding, “Smuggled narcotics pose a serious threat to public safety. Protecting Filipino lives remains at the heart of every operation we carry out, this seizure is no exception.”
In related operations on July 29, the Port of Clark also intercepted two shipments bound for Quezon City. The first, declared as ‘Animal Food’ from Paris, was found to contain 52 grams of MDMA (Ecstasy) worth ₱265,200. The second, declared as ‘Documents’ from Austria, concealed 52 grams of Ketamine valued at ₱260,000. Both shipments were subjected to seizure proceedings.
These successful interceptions demonstrate the continued vigilance of the Bureau of Customs – Port of Clark in preventing the entry of illicit drugs and upholding border security.
