Seized shabu (File photo)
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) continues to coordinate with foreign drug enforcement agencies to strengthen border control against illegal drugs particularly shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar made the comment on Saturday after the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said shabu remains the main concern of the anti-illegal drug units in the Philippines.
“Patuloy ang ating koordinasyon sa mga drug enforcement agencies sa ibang bansa, katuwang ang PDEA [the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] at Bureau of Customs, para mapalakas pa ang ating border controls kontra sa pagpasok ng illegal drugs sa bansa (We continue to coordinate with drug enforcement agencies abroad, in collaboration with the PDEA and the Bureau of Customs, to further strengthen our border controls against the entry of illegal drugs into the country),” Eleazar said.
He said concerned police units, including the Maritime Group, have been tasked to heighten border security measures to prevent the entry of illegal drugs.
“Mahigpit po ang kautusan sa PNP Maritime Group na lalong paigtingin ang pagbabantay sa ating mga baybayin upang walang makakalusot na iligal na droga, partikular ang high-grade cocaine, na minsan ay inihuhulog lang ng mga dayuhang barko sa ating karagatan (The PNP Maritime Group has been strictly ordered to intensify surveillance on our shores so that no illegal drugs, particularly high-grade cocaine, which is sometimes dropped by foreign ships into our oceans, can be smuggled),” he said.
He said the PDEA and the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) have made a considerable dent in the country’s illegal drug trade.
“Kabi-kabila ang mga nasasabat ng PDEA at PDEG na malakihang bulto ng shabu. Baka kaya din na nasabi nilang talamak pa din ang shabu ay dahil sa mga successful operations (Both PDEA and PDEG seized large volumes of shabu. It may also be that they say that shabu is still chronic due to these successful operations),” Eleazar said.
Eleazar said law enforcers have arrested high value targets or HVTs.
A total of 273,014 persons, including 10,959 HVTs, have been arrested while 6,011 died in 188,603 anti-illegal drug operations conducted from July 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2020, according to the latest government’s #RealNumbersPH data posted on PDEA website.
During the same period, the drug law enforcement agencies have also dismantled 680 drug dens and 17 clandestine laboratories and seized PHP57.30 billion worth of illegal drugs, including PHP47.34 billion worth of shabu.
Some 20,946 of the 42,045 barangays have been declared drug-free, the report added.
P28-M marijuana plants destroyed
Meanwhile, Eleazar on Sunday reported that the joint operatives of PNP and the PDEA destroyed PHP25.8 million worth of marijuana plants during two-day marijuana eradication operations in Tinglayan, Kalinga Province.
He said authorities burned the 137,000 pieces of fully grown marijuana discovered in five different sites at the mountainous area of Sitio Ballay in Tulgao.
“Patuloy po nating hahanapin at uubusin ang mga marijuana plantations sa rehiyon bilang bahagi ng ating kampanya kontra iligal na droga (We will continue to search for and destroy marijuana plantations in the region as part of our campaign against illegal drugs),” Eleazar said in a statement.
The operating team, composed of personnel from the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, the PDEA, and other police units, destroyed the marijuana plants on June 11 and 12. No one was arrested during the operations.
“Base sa impormasyon, walang nahuli dito sa marijuana plantation eradication operation na ito. Pero patuloy po naming tinutugis ang namamahala sa mga plantasyong ito lalo na dito sa CAR na kadalasan ay pinanggagalingan ng supply ng marijuana na ating nasasabat (Based on the information, no one was caught in this marijuana plantation eradication operation. But we continue to pursue those who manage these plantations, especially in CAR, which is often the source of the marijuana supply that we have access to),” he said.
Eleazar commended operatives of the PDEG, the PDEA and other police units for the successful discovery and eradication of the marijuana plants.
“We urge the public to help us in this campaign by giving information that could help us in our anti-illegal drug operations, not only in this region but in the entire country,” he said.
Early this month, a total of PHP45.915 million worth of marijuana plants were also discovered and burned in separate operations in Benguet province.
The destruction of marijuana is part of the continuing effort of government forces to rid the country of marijuana which is prohibited under Republic Act 9165 or the Anti-Illegal Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA)
