MANILA – Authorities have dismantled a total of 235 drug dens and shabu laboratories in the country as part of the government's intensified campaign against illegal drugs from June 2016 to August 2018.
Speaking in the #RealNumbers press briefing in Camp Crame Wednesday, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) spokesperson, Director Derrick Carreon, said out of the 235, 223 are drug dens and 12 are clandestine shabu laboratories while, various types of illegal drugs worth PHP24.12 billion were seized.
This amount, Carreon said, includes 3,142.40 kilograms of shabu (crystal meth) with an estimated street value of PHP17.39 billion.
He said drug syndicates put up shabu laboratories in all types of areas, whether in a remote community, exclusive villages or in a posh and exclusive condominium unit.
He cited the case of four Hong Kong nationals, who were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Parañaque and Manila on Tuesday, who were allegedly operating a kitchen-type shabu laboratory inside a condominium unit in Pasay City.
“The fact, sa dami ng nakita naming kitchen-type laboratories (Of the various kitchen-type laboratories that we saw), this is a first time where we saw a kitchen-type laboratory in a studio unit where the ideal capacity of the production is quite high kasi (because) usually kapag (if it is a) kitchen type, from one to three to 10 kilograms per cycle. Itong nakita natin kagabi (What we saw last night), is capable of producing 40 or even 50 kilograms per cycle. Napakarami nung nakuha natin kagabi (We seized a lot last night) and this is alarming so based on the initial assessment of our forensic chemist is not a small scale but a medium scale shabu laboratory,” Carreon said.
When asked if there are other possible areas with the same type of laboratory, Carreon said, “Yes, there are drug syndicates by nature are always innovating and changing their modus operandi.”
It is likely that these foreigners were able to bring in shabu into the country using a backdoor entry in Mindanao or through seaports, he added.
He said the arrested Hong Kong nationals are suspected members of the 14K or Hong Kong triad drug syndicate.
Meanwhile, Real Numbers data showed authorities also arrested 155,193 individuals involved in illegal drugs during the said period.
Included in the total figure are 576 government workers -- 247 of them elected officials, 58 uniformed personnel, and 271 government employees.
Around 108,059 anti-illegal drugs operations were conducted by joint law enforcement agencies during the period.
As of August 2018, the consolidated report showed that 4,854 drug suspects have died during the anti-illegal drugs operations.
Also, a total of 279 members of law enforcement agencies were dismissed from service for drug use while 105 personnel dismissed from service for other drug-related offense.
Of the total 3,637 personnel facing administrative charges, 68 were penalized, 991 were exonerated and 2,578 had their cases dismissed.
Around 8,444 out of 42,036 barangays in the country were already cleared of illegal drugs from July 2016 to August 2018.
Before declaring that a barangay is free from illegal drug activities, the Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug-Clearing Program must convene and validate the non-availability of drug supply in the area and the absence of drug transit activity, clandestine drug laboratory and chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, drug pushers and users.
PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Benigno Durana, meanwhile, said there has been no let-up in the anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“I think we will take off from the statement of the President that the war on drugs is still far from over. There are still a lot of things to do when the crime syndicates are continuously (innovating) so that's why our campaign against illegal drugs should also innovate as far as law enforcement strategies are concerned so as to when we totally rid, we can attain a drug-free Philippines we do not know,” he told reporters.
“I think that's a realistic assessment. Nobody knows what even will happen tomorrow but as far as the PNP is concerned we are focused and determined to help rid our streets of the menace of illegal drugs,” he added. (PNA)
