Casino Trip Turned Fruity Bust: Manila Customs Tackle 150 kg of Food
What Actually Fell Apart at the Airport
Picture this: a private Gulfstream G450 slicing across the sky, carrying five Singaporeans, a Chinese lady, and a suitcase that’d make a fruit aisle jealous. Their flight lands in Manila, all set to hit the Solaire Resort & Casino for a few lucky days. But the gatekeepers at customs hit the “no‑entry” button.
Why the Baggage Was Bigger than Your Typical Travel Vibes
- 96 kg of grapes & passion fruit – the grapes are practically a stationary carnival.
- More than 65 kg of Chinese goodies: siew mai, char siew pau, rice with meat toppings, all snug in styrofoam.
- Sequestration of the entire load at the Manila airport warehouse.
The Bureau of Animal Industry’s vet inspector, Nilo Cristal, told the Inquirer that the crew couldn’t produce an import permit for that pantry‑full of treats. After all, who needs a grocery store’s worth of Asian snacks on a short casino holiday?
Meet the “Fruit‑Kid” Crew
- Wong Yew Choy – 28 (in good spirits)
- Chua Hoe Beng – 35 (probably still arranging his travel documents)
- Koh Siew Hak – 43 (maybe craving Korean BBQ)
- Low Chen Yang Marcus – 50 (high‑tech chef in disguise)
- Dexmond Koh Wei Shun – 57 (the veteran of the snack adventure)
- Yuan Fengxia – 33 (the sole lady, hoping for a dragon‑fruit roll)
All these travelers arrived on a Gulfstream G450 owned by Bloomberry Resorts & Hotels, the force behind Solaire, Manila’s biggest integrated resort.
After the Stop‑over: What Happened Next?
The customs crew didn’t arrest anyone, and the gang was let go, no charges to their credit. Their culinary cargo is still on hold at the airport warehouse – a silent reminder of their “building” of a casino adventure that turned into a fruit‑based fiasco.
In Conclusion
Next time you think about a high‑roller vacation, maybe leave the buffet items at home. Manila’s customs can’t be fooled by a traveler’s appetite for international street food!
