MANILA, Philippines – Inspectors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) found 200 tablets of illegal drugs in a teddy bear inside a package bound to South Africa.
The drugs spilled out of the stuffed toy while the package was manually inspected by customs authorities following the X-ray machine scan.
“Initial test showed it is positive of methamphetamine (shabu),” said Joel Pilawin, officer-in-charge of the airport’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS).
“This is the first time a teddy bear is used [in smuggling drugs],” Pilawin added, saying that the drugs were concealed in the toy’s feet, hands, and head.
The package was headed to South Africa and was supposedly sent via LBC by a foreigner identified as Jason Thomas, said the CIIS.
The seized illegal drugs have been turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Methamphetamine, locally known as shabu in the Philippines, is a white crystalline drug. Banned in the country, it is either snorted, smoked, or injected into the bloodstream. – Rappler.com
Teddy bear image via Shutterstock
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