An American passenger found carrying more than P19 million worth of cocaine was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last Sept. 27.

The arrested passenger was identified as Stephen Jozeph Szuhar, 75, who flew in at around 8 p.m. from Sao Paolo, Brazil on board a connecting Qatar Airways flight.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco said operatives received a tip from foreign counterparts regarding the suspicious travel of Szuhar.

The BI’s Anti-Terrorist Group assigned at the NAIA immediately coordinated the matter to the NAIA Drug Interdiction Task Group, of which the BI is a member.

“Our agents at the immigration arrival counters identified Szuhar. After which, agents of the task group monitored him as he collected his luggage and proceeded to the Customs area, where it was detected by canines to be containing illegal narcotics," said Tansingco.

Customs and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) inspection of the luggage yielded 3.7 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of P19.610 million.

Szuhar is being held at the PDEA Custodial Jail Facility while he faces charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as The Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002. BI News