P16 million Ecstasy tablets seized

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines — Almost 10,000 tablets of party drug Ecstasy with an estimated street value of P16.9 million were recently seized at the Clark International Airport, authorities said on Friday.

The illegal drugs were placed in a box containing bed sheets, ladies’ bags, shoes and other items shipped from Brussels, Belgium, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said.

The contraband was discovered by a BOC employee when the package was subjected to an X-ray examination.

During physical inspection, the BOC found approximately 9,948 pieces of colored tablets suspected to be Ecstasy.

Samples of the tablets were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for chemical laboratory analysis.

Results of the analysis confirmed the tablets were Ecstasy.

A follow-up operation conducted on Friday by a team of police officers and PDEA agents in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City resulted in the arrest of the alleged package consignee, identified as Elisha Mae Ilas.