A 47-year-old woman was arrested at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) after 4 bullets were found in her bag on Thursday. He was on his way to Tacloban City when the x-ray machine rang at the boarding gate check, so security personnel immediately checked his yellow bag. In a blue pouch, the bullets were found.
According to MCIA Aviation Authority General Manager Julius Neri, there has been no case of bullets being dropped at the airport since 2016. He stressed the bullet was not planted and it was possible that the passenger was carrying it unintentionally. He added that there are CCTVs at the airport to monitor personnel and ensure that no such modus operandi occurs.
The Aviation Security Group said the woman could not produce any documents to prove that she was authorized to carry ammunition, so she was arrested. It was also learned that the pouch was not hers but belonged to the company she worked for. The passenger insisted that she did not know that there were bullets in her bag.
The woman, a HR Manager and resident of Lapu-Lapu City, will face charges for violating the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and election gun ban. Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) also denied that gunpowder has returned to Philippine airports, after several passengers were caught with bullets this month.
According to DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon, it is possible that the bullet was accidentally packed by a passenger and this is not a modus operandi. He added that travelers should be careful when receiving packages before traveling to avoid this situation.
