American tourist, 62, arrested after 17kg of cannabis from Thailand is found in luggage at Manila airport

An American tourist was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 17 kilogrammes of cannabis from Thailand into the Philippines. The 62-year-old passenger had arrived from Bangkok when customs officers flagged his two suitcases during an X-ray screening at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Manila on October 29. He had claimed the luggage contained food packages, but officers noticed suspicious shapes inside the suitcases. A drug-sniffing dog was later deployed and detected suspected drugs, sparking a search of the man's luggage. Fifteen vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana were found concealed inside the food packages. Five packages weighing 5.12 kg were recovered from the first suitcase, while another 10 packages weighing 12.34 kg were found in the second. Authorities said the haul was worth an estimated 273,000 USD. The American was detained for the alleged importation of illegal drugs. Under the Philippines' Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act No. 9165), smuggling cannabis into the country is punishable with life imprisonment and a fine of between 500,000 and 10 million PHP. The arrest came just three days after authorities seized another 7.33 kg of cannabis from abandoned luggage at the same terminal on October 26. The luggage had also arrived from Bangkok, with the drugs concealed inside aluminium food pouches and sealed transparent plastic bags. Officials said 24.8 kg of cannabis had been seized in the two operations. The contraband has been sent to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for proper disposition. Customs-NAIA District Collector Yasmin Obillos-Mapa said the successful interceptions were a result of heightened surveillance by customs personnel and close coordination with partner agencies to strengthen airport security. She said: 'We will continue to intensify inspections and monitoring at our airports. With the support of our partner agencies, we will ensure that illegal drugs are intercepted and those behind their smuggling are held accountable.' Thailand decriminalised marijuana in 2022, making it the first Asian nation to do so. However, the lack of regulations caused a surge in unregulated sales and use, especially in tourist areas like Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya, alongside reports linking the drug to violence, smuggling, and public disorder. Thai government officials are now seeking to outlaw recreational cannabis use by requiring medical certificates to purchase the drug.