Manila, Sept. 3 -- The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday foiled an attempt to smuggle some 70 kilograms (kg) of shabu worth close to PHP500 million concealed in three balikbayan boxes in a warehouse in Tondo, Manila.

Customs chief Ariel Nepomuceno said in a statement the illegal drugs were discovered during x-ray scanning.

He said BOC examiners detected suspicious images in the two container vans declared as household goods and personal effects, which were then tagged for verification.

A physical examination was also conducted on the shipment by authorities supported by K9 units, which confirmed the presence of illegal drugs worth PHP476 million.

The shipment originated from Long Beach, California, USA, and was consigned to a re...