Woman nabbed carrying bullets at NAIA

Police filed charges against a 46-year-old woman yesterday after she was caught carrying bullets at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Elvira Lean Santos of Banawe, Quezon City was arrested and booked for illegal possession of ammunition shortly after the box she was carrying went through a security check.

NAIA-Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) Terminal 1 station chief, Chief Inspector Jonathan Galang said she was caught carrying 13 .9mm bullets.

Santos, who was supposed to board an Eva Airlines flight to the United States, said she did not know about the bullets.

However, police did not buy her claim that it was her maid who prepared her baggage and that she did not know what was placed inside the box.

Galang, in an interview with The STAR, said the bullets found in Santos’ possession were detected by an X-ray security check.

According to him, the  ammunition was placed inside a pouch and hidden in a rubber shoe in an apparent reason to avoid detection.

“Bullets are made of metal. Such items will be detected,” Galang said as he warned passengers against trying to fool X-ray machines and the capable people who man them.

The Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) had long been reminding the public against prohibited items.

Bullets, guns and bladed weapons, cannot be brought inside a commercial aircraft.

Galang said Santos was charged before the Pasay City prosecutor’s office, with the case based on the recovered items and the testimonies of X-ray personnel and the police officers who arrested her.