Bolivian caught with P47 million cocaine at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines — A Bolivian man believed to be a drug courier was apprehended by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for allegedly carrying cocaine valued at P47.69 million when he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Tuesday.

Roberth Lavadenz Alvarez, 30, is now in the custody of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), according to Bienvenido Castillo III, head of the BI anti-terrorist group at the airport.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said immigration officers intercepted Alvarez due to his “suspicious travels.”

Sandoval did not give further details.

BI records showed that Alvarez arrived in Manila from Brazil on a flight from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

The Bureau of Customs and PDEA’s K9 unit reportedly recovered from Alvarez four plastic packs containing 405 pieces of what seemed to be toffee candies and another four bags of what appeared to be fish food weighing 5,515 grams.

Upon inspection, authorities found 8.99 kilos of cocaine in the suspect’s luggage.

During interrogation, Alvarez said that a person of African descent offered him $5,000 to transport the contraband to Manila and wait for further instructions at his hotel room upon arrival.

“The apprehension of the suspect underscores the importance of international collaboration in combating the illegal drug trade,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said, adding that US immigration provided information that led to Alvarez’s arrest. — Emmanuel Tupas, Rudy Santos