Pasay city: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted two unclaimed and abandoned packages containing PHP22 million worth of illegal drugs at the OBC Warehouse in Pasay City. In a statement, Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno revealed that the packages were declared as CCTV kits and subjected to verification following a tip from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
According to Philippines News Agency, laboratory examination of extracted samples confirmed the presence of methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as "shabu," on February 11. The first package, originating from Malawi in Africa, contained approximately 2,370 grams of shabu, while the second package, from Johannesburg, South Africa, held around 1,012 grams. Both packages were formally turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The interception constitutes violations of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended) and Republic Act 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act). Commissioner Nepomuceno noted, "The continued interception of illegal drugs, even in unclaimed and abandoned shipments, shows that our enforcement units remain proactive and alert." The operation was conducted in coordination with the PDEA and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, bringing the total value of illegal drugs seized this year to more than PHP479 million.
In a related development, the BOC's intelligence arm underwent a minor reshuffle amid corruption allegations against one of its officers. BOC-Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Romeo Allan Rosales ordered the temporary assignment of Paul Oliver Pacunayen, Intelligence Officer III of the BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Office, to the IG-Office of the Deputy Commissioner. This order was made "pending investigation by the Bureau of Customs of alleged corrupt acts" involving Pacunayen, who is under scrutiny for alleged smuggling activities at the Port of Manila.
Pacunayen was specifically instructed to refrain from engaging in any operational activities outside the scope of this temporary assignment unless expressly authorized. Allen Dela Cruz, chief of the Intelligence Division, CIIS-IG, has been temporarily assigned as the office caretaker of the POM-Field Station of CIIS, as per the BOC order. Pacunayen was among those named in a letter sent to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. by concerned BOC officials, employees, and stakeholders, alleging the resurgence of smuggling activities at the port. CIIS Director Thomas Narcise was also mentioned in the letter.
