Another drug pipeline just got slammed shut—and this time, smugglers hiding behind a rug runner got rolled flat.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), teaming up with the Clark Inter-Agency Task Force Against Illegal Drugs, seized ₱6.16 million worth of high-grade marijuana (kush) concealed inside what was falsely declared as a polyester rug runner from California, USA, bound for San Mateo, Rizal.

The haul—4.11 kilograms of kush—never stood a chance.

Customs’ X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) caught the shipment’s irregular imaging, triggering a no-nonsense, 100% physical inspection. What examiners found wasn’t home décor—but a cylindrical container packed with plastic bags of dried marijuana, carefully hidden and clearly meant to poison Filipino streets.

Laboratory tests by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed the obvious: illegal drugs, plain and simple—violating both the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863) and the Dangerous Drugs Act (RA 9165).

REYES: “WE STOP DRUGS AT THE GATE.”

For District Collector Jairus S. Reyes, the message is blunt and uncompromising.

“This interception reflects the value of coordinated enforcement and disciplined inspection protocols. Preventing illegal drugs from passing through our ports is a direct safeguard for our communities,” Reyes said.

Translation: no shortcuts, no blind spots, no mercy for smugglers.

NEPOMUCENO DRAWS THE LINE

At the top, BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno made it clear—every port is on watch.

“The Bureau of Customs exercises vigilant oversight at all ports to ensure operations remain safe, lawful, and efficient. Coordinated enforcement with our partner agencies is central to safeguarding our borders and maintaining public trust,” Nepomuceno stressed.

Under Nepomuceno’s watch, Customs is not just collecting revenues—it’s cutting off drug syndicates at the border, shipment by shipment.

BOTTOM LINE

Smugglers can lie on their declarations.
They can wrap drugs in rugs.
They can try new tricks.

But with Nepomuceno setting the tone and Reyes enforcing the line, Customs isn’t blinking.

Drugs stop here. At the port. Before they reach the streets.

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