BOC-NAIA seizes $1.4M of goldjewelryhidden in the plane lavatory at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The jewelry weighed 24 kilos and was made of different types.
BOC-NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan said in a statement on Friday that the jewelry was found on Philippine Airlines Flight PR 301, which landed at NAIA Terminal 2 on Thursday from Hong Kong.
During the plane's boarding process, the Customs inspector found the jewelry, which was worth several million dollars.
Talusan has asked for a thorough investigation to find out who tried to sneak in the jewelry.
Cielo Villaluna, a spokesperson for PAL, said that the national airline would work with the authorities as they looked into the attempted smuggling.
“„PAL continues to cooperate with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the BOC to ensure an orderly and thorough probe. Rest assured, the investigation is underway to ferret out the truth behind this incident.- Cielo Villaluna
Talusan made sure that Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz's orders for strict border security were carried out. This is what President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. told his people to do to stop smuggling into the country.
This Year's BOC-NAIA Accomplishment
According to Port Calls, Talusan had said earlier that BOC-NAIA had stopped the smuggling of drugs worth more than $1.4 million so far this year. He also said that they had stopped the smuggling of wildlife, cigarettes, medicines, and other things.
From January to August 23, BOC also took possession of items worth more than $5.1 million, including jewelry, cash, fuel, chemicals, steel products, and more.