P10-M liquid cocaine seized at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines - Authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) confiscated around two liters of liquid cocaine worth at least P10 million from an overseas Filipina worker yesterday.

Customs police director Willy Tolentino instructed customs investigators Sherwin Andrada and Reggie Tuason to monitor the arrival of Mary Joy Soriano, 26, from Dubai.

Tolentino said their counterparts abroad alerted them about a Filipina passenger coming from the Middle East with suspected illegal drugs.

Soriano arrived at the airport at around 4 p.m. Monday.

She showed up at the NAIA Terminal 1 at 7:30 a.m. yesterday to claim her luggage, which turned out containing two bottles of liquid cocaine labeled as shampoo.

The liquid cocaine, when transformed to powder, could weigh as much as two kilograms and can be sold for about P10 million.

Records showed that Soriano went to Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Dubai, Brazil and Qatar before flying back to Manila.

Customs deputy collector for passenger services Edgar Macabeo said they turned over the suspect to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Soriano said she was paid to carry the luggage and was not aware that it contained illegal drugs.