In a significant drug bust at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City, a 29-year-old Filipina was apprehended with PHP24.2 million worth of cocaine. The arrest occurred on Thursday night at Terminal 3, where the suspect, identified as Joy Gulmatico, was found carrying 4.57 kg of the illicit substance hidden in two bags. The operation was executed by the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group following a tip-off from the Bureau of Immigration’s Anti-Terrorist Group due to her suspicious flight pattern. The drugs were discovered after a Customs X-ray inspector noticed an unusual substance in her luggage, which was later confirmed to be 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. In a related incident, authorities in Cebu arrested another suspect, alias Reymond, and seized PHP10.2 million worth of shabu during a buy-bust operation in Mandaue City.
Filipina Arrested with PHP24.2 Million Cocaine at NAIA
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