A Filipina passenger carrying suspected cocaine valued at over ₱24 million was apprehended at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Thursday evening.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that the suspect arrived from Sierra Leone aboard an Ethiopian Air flight. Authorities flagged her due to unusual flight patterns and referred her to the Drug Interdiction Task Group (DITG).
An inspection of her luggage revealed suspicious substances hidden within the linings of four handbags and one suitcase. Laboratory testing by the Bureau of Customs confirmed that the 4.574 kilograms of powdery substance was cocaine, estimated to be worth more than ₱24 million on the street.
The suspect is currently in custody and faces drug trafficking charges as inquest proceedings are underway.