Pasay city: A 45-year-old Ugandan national was apprehended Tuesday night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City, following the discovery of 6,250 grams of suspected shabu in his luggage, valued at PHP42.5 million.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) identified the suspect only by the alias ‘Adnan,’ a businessman who arrived from Antananarivo, Madagascar, with a connecting flight in Ethiopia. The arrest occurred around 8 p.m. when authorities inspected his gray luggage and uncovered five improvised packaging tape bags containing a white crystalline substance, suspected to be shabu, hidden among various clothes, toys, and personal items.

The items recovered from the scene included the gray luggage containing the illegal drugs, an Ugandan passport, a boarding pass, a black backpack with personal belongings, bank cards, a mobile phone, several US dollar bills, and a company identification card. All evidence has been transferred to the PDEA Laboratory Service for further qualitative and quantitative examination and appropriate disposition.

The arrest was executed in collaboration with the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group. This group 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 now facing charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, which strictly prohibits the importation of dangerous drugs.