THE Bureau of Customs (BOC)-NAIA continues to impress with its relentless efforts to counter the evolving tactics of illegal drug syndicates and money launderers attempting to exploit the country’s premier airport.
They, however, make a huge mistake if they think they can do so via the premier airport terminals of the NAIA.
Just recently, owing to the noticeably growing number of passengers attempting to sneak out of the country foreign currencies, the BOC-NAIA, through the leadership of NAIA District Collector Atty. Yasmin Mapa and with the full support of NAIA- Customs Passengers operation chief Dr. Mark Jhon Almase, has come up with the idea of deploying K-9 dogs trained to smell money.
Aside from Atty. Mapa’s efforts to coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), she also entered into a partnership and an agreement to strengthen the efforts of both the BOC-NAIA and the PCG against all forms of modus operandi of syndicates involved in illicit drugs and money laundering.
According to Almase, the agreement was spurred by the recent increase in apprehensions, particularly those involving attempts to smuggle foreign currency.
Under the unscrupulous scheme, those involved attempt at bringing out huge sums of foreign currency without declaring, the reason for which could either be because they want to escape paying the necessary taxes or will use such money for illegal activities.
According to Mapa, the K-9 dogs now being deployed at the NAIA arrival and departure areas have all been trained thoroughly by the PCG.
Their job is to detect the presence of cash in all corners of the NAIA terminals to ensure that no attempt at smuggling foreign currency will ever get through.
Even before the deployment of these cash-sniffing dogs, a Chinese national was apprehended at NAIA’s final security checkpoint for failing to declare over $10,000— a violation of customs regulations.
With the presence of the K-9 units, the campaign against money smuggling has been significantly bolstered.
The BOC-NAIA also recently intercepted 10 kilos of shabu at NAIA Terminal 3, discovered in an abandoned piece of luggage. The confiscated illegal drugs had an estimated street value of P72.8 million.
Following the seizure, Atty. Mapa immediately instructed Dr. Almase to coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration to gather information about the owner of the luggage, identified as Michel Septon, a Belgian national who arrived via Qatar Airways flight QR 928 from Johannesburg, South Africa, with a layover in Doha, Qatar.
With these efforts put in place by the BOC-NAIA, the country can be assured that its borders are protected against illegal drug syndicates and money launderers as well.
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