Manila, June 16 -- The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Monday said it foiled a smuggling attempt earlier this month involving 3,004 pieces of ecstasy tablets worth PHP5 million concealed in a shipment declared as "animal food."

In a belated statement, Port of Clark District Collector Jairus Reyes said the parcel, which arrived on June 4 and valued at approximately PHP5.126 million, originated from Paris, France and was intended for delivery to Taguig City.

He said the interdiction stemmed from derogatory information relayed by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regarding an incoming shipment. Acting on the tip, Customs examiners and PDEA operatives conducted a K-9 sniff test on June 5, which yielded positive results for narcotics.

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