American passenger arrested at Manila airport with high-grade marijuana

An American passenger was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City after authorities discovered approximately PHP 17.46 million worth of high-grade marijuana, known as kush, concealed in his luggage. The seizure occurred on October 29, 2026, following a flight from Bangkok, Thailand.

Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials reported that X-ray screening revealed suspicious images within the checked-in bags, which were subsequently inspected by K-9 units. Investigators found 15 vacuum-sealed packages hidden inside food packaging. The first bag contained five packages weighing 5,122 grams, valued at PHP 5.12 million, while the second bag contained 10 packages weighing 12,342 grams, valued at PHP 12.34 million.

The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group. In a separate incident at the same terminal on October 26, authorities intercepted an additional 7,335 grams of suspected kush valued at PHP 7.33 million, which was found in abandoned luggage also originating from Bangkok.