They tried to pass death as stone.

But at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the lie cracked—and what spilled out was poison worth ₱114.5 million.

In a bold interdiction that sends shockwaves through international drug syndicates, the Bureau of Customs–NAIA, working hand in glove with PDEA and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, smashed a major smuggling attempt on January 8, 2026. Declared as malachite stones from Congo, the shipment raised red flags under the X-ray—proof that no amount of paperwork can hide a bad conscience.

A full physical examination told the real story: four boxes packed with suspected illegal drugs, weighing a staggering 16.8 kilos. Not stones. Not minerals. But narcotics meant to destroy Filipino lives.

This was not luck. This was discipline, vigilance, and leadership at work.

At the forefront is BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose message to smugglers is loud and unmistakable: no mercy at the border.

“This is not just about enforcement. It is about protecting our communities,” Nepomuceno declared—words backed by action. Under his watch, Customs is no longer a passive gatekeeper but an active shield, relentless in screening, inspecting, and stopping drugs cold at the point of entry.

Equally unyielding is BOC-NAIA District Collector Atty. Yasmin O. Mapa, whose command at the airport continues to pay dividends. Her emphasis on strict risk profiling and tight inter-agency coordination proved decisive once again.

“Our personnel remain alert and ready to act on any shipment that poses a threat to public safety,” Mapa said—an understatement for an operation that just pulled millions worth of narcotics off the streets before they could circulate.

This bust is a textbook example of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to intensify border protection—and a reminder that the government’s whole-of-nation approach against transnational crime is not just a slogan. It’s operational. It isn’t very nice. And it’s working.

The seized drugs and suspects are now with PDEA, facing the full force of RA 9165 and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. For traffickers, the message is chillingly clear: misdeclare all you want—Customs is watching.

At NAIA, the gates are tighter, the eyes sharper, and the resolve stronger than ever. Under Nepomuceno and Mapa, the Bureau of Customs is proving one thing beyond doubt:

If you bring drugs to our borders, don’t expect to get past them.

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