The prohibited marijuana inside the two balikbayan boxes was first discovered by the managers of UMAC Forwarders Express, Incorporated based in Taguig City. They grew suspicious as the intended recipient had not yet claimed the boxes since their arrival in October of the previous year.
PDEG director Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta reported that they inspected the two balikbayan boxes on December 27, 2024, and found inside 40 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets, containing an estimated 20,000 grams of Kush marijuana.
(Picture of PDEG)
The PDEG determined the sender and the intended recipient of the Kush marijuana and is now carrying out operations and investigations regarding this matter.
Matta believes that syndicates took advantage of the holiday rush, sending the drugs at a time when many balikbayan boxes are entering the country.
The successful discovery of the attempted marijuana smuggling is a result of the agreement signed between authorities and forwarding companies to immediately report if they notice anything unusual about the balikbayan boxes arriving in the country.
According to PDEG spokesperson Lt. Dhame Malang, criminals are now importing marijuana from other countries due to their intensified campaign against local production and distribution of marijuana. He said that criminals are sourcing their supply from international syndicates of marijuana.
