Pasay city: A 30-year-old female overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was arrested Thursday night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City after authorities found PHP43.4 million worth of suspected cocaine inside her luggage.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) stated on Friday that the suspect, known as alias Vane, a domestic helper, arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a connecting flight to Doha, Qatar around 7:20 p.m. Thursday. An inspection of the suspect's black luggage uncovered a hidden compartment where authorities found approximately 8.19 kilograms of a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine.

Additional items recovered included non-drug evidence such as a Philippine passport, two boarding passes, and one backpack containing a passbook, two cellular phones, assorted foreign currencies, identification cards, bank cards, and cargo documents. The seized evidence has been turned over to the PDEA Laboratory Service for examination and proper disposition.

The arrest was conducted in coordination with the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, which comprises the PDEA, Bureau of Customs- Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group, Airport Police Department, PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), National Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Immigration. The suspect is facing charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.