Baggage left at NAIA contains 10.7kg of shabu

MANILA, Philippines — A luggage left by a passenger on September 28, 2024 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 contained 10.7 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu), the Bureau of Customs (BoC) said on Monday.

BoC-NAIA Assistant Deputy Collector for Passenger Services Mark Almase said that the luggage had been kept in a storage since it was found abandoned at the airport's baggage carousel last year.

Almase said that any luggage unclaimed for six months or longer would be inspected for the benefit of the government.

Upon inspecting the luggage, officials discovered narcotics with a total worth of P72.8 million.

Almase said that the luggage belonged to Michel Septon, a Belgian who arrived in the country on Qatar Airways flight QR928 from Johannesburg, South Africa with a layover in Doha, Qatar.

According to Philippine Custom regulations, individuals who fail to claim their baggage are provided with sufficient time to retrieve it.

BoC operatives have been coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration to determine if the Belgian passenger is still in the country.