A FILIPINO passenger was apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, for attempting to smuggle illegal substances through a domestic flight. The arrest was made by the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) after a suspicious item was detected in the passenger’s backpack at the final security checkpoint.
The incident unfolded when a Security Screening Officer (SSO) from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), monitoring the X-ray machine, flagged the passenger’s backpack for further inspection.
During a manual search conducted in the passenger’s presence, authorities discovered a disposable vape cartridge. Initial testing using a portable spectrometer indicated the presence of illegal substances. A subsequent confirmatory test by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed that the cartridge contained suspected marijuana oil, also known as cannabidiol.
Authorities confiscated approximately 5 milliliters of the suspected marijuana oil, valued at around P300,000, which was concealed within the vape cartridge. The suspect was immediately arrested and apprised of their constitutional rights in a language understood. The seized items were meticulously documented, marked, and inventoried in the presence of the mandatory witnesses as required by law.
Both the suspect and the confiscated marijuana oil were turned over to the PDEA for appropriate legal proceedings under Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Airport authorities reiterated that stringent security protocols are continuously enforced at all airports to guarantee passenger safety and to strictly prohibit the transport of illegal drugs, even for personal consumption, in compliance with Republic Act 9165.
