Customs authorities at the Port of Clark intercepted a shipment of ketamine valued at ₱30.78 million concealed inside a solar cable spool, officials announced Saturday.

The seizure, conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Clark Inter-Agency Task Force Against Illegal Drugs, uncovered 6,156 grams of the illegal substance.

The package, which originated from the Netherlands and was bound for Pasig City, was declared as "solar cables."

Authorities flagged the shipment following "derogatory information" received from PDEA. During the inspection, a K-9 unit signaled the presence of narcotics, prompting a full physical examination of the parcel.

Upon dismantling the wooden cable spool, examiners found six transparent plastic pouches containing a white crystalline substance hidden within the structure of the coiled wires. A field test using a Rigaku Spectrometer confirmed the substance was ketamine.

Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the operation follows a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify the national campaign against illegal drugs.

"Every drug shipment we stop represents lives protected and families spared from harm," Nepomuceno said in a statement. "This is not just enforcement — it is our duty to safeguard the well-being of every Filipino."

A Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued against the shipment for violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in relation to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

District Collector Jairus S. Reyes noted that the sophisticated concealment method highlights the need for evolving border security.

"Smugglers continue to evolve their tactics, and so must we," Reyes said. "Strengthening our profiling systems and continuously building the expertise of our examiners are key to staying ahead."