MANILA, Philippines - Anti-narcotic agents intercepted a packages containing more than 200 grams of shabu during an operation at the Zamboanga International Airport in Zamboanga City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Friday.
PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said that during the interdiction operation last January 15, authorities seized the illegal drug contained in four transparent plastic sachets weighing 219.40 grams.
Cacdac said the package was wrapped with black carbon paper and packing tapes. It was concealed in a pack of a local brewed coffee inside a box bound for Jolo, Sulu.
Airport and anti-illegal drugs operatives intercepted the shabu package when it was subjected to inspection at the initial security screening area of Zamboanga International Airport.
“The package was sent by a certain Abdusahar Sabial Albi of Panguio Street, Las Piñas City to a certain Nadzmer Muradjam using a local courier service to be delivered to one of its branches in Jolo, Sulu," the PDEA chief said.
The pieces of drug evidence were submitted to the police regional Crime Laboratory in Camp Batalla, Zamboanga City for chemical analysis.
"Some drug traffickers think that the safest option to move illegal drugs quickly but covertly is through parcel mail. Detection is much lower due to the condition of anonymity using fictitious names to mislead authorities. But given the result of the interdiction operation, they should think otherwise," he said.
In Nov. 21, 2013, 600 grams of shabu worth P3 million placed inside a package bound for Tawi-Tawi were also intercepted at the Zamboanga International Airport.