In a significant drug bust at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City, a 29-year-old Filipina was apprehended with cocaine valued at PHP24.2 million. The arrest occurred on the night of January 9, 2025, at Terminal 3’s international arrival area, executed by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group. The woman, identified as Joy Gulmatico, was found carrying 4.57 kg of cocaine hidden in two bags, alongside mobile phones, travel documents, and identification cards. The drugs were detected after a Customs X-ray inspector spotted a suspicious substance during a scan, which was later confirmed as cocaine following a K9 inspection. Gulmatico had arrived from Sierra Leone via Ethiopian Airlines, with a layover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She now faces charges under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The seized cocaine was handed over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for further processing. In a related incident, PDEA and police in Cebu arrested another suspect, alias Reymond, seizing PHP10.2 million worth of shabu during a buy-bust operation in Mandaue City.
Filipina Arrested at NAIA with PHP24.2 Million in Cocaine
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