BUSTED. Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in La Union process the evidence in a buy-bust on June 6, 2022 that resulted in the seizure of over PHP353,000 worth of suspected shabu from a high-value target. PDEA La Union seized a total of PHP5.2 million worth of shabu and marijuana from January 1 to June 7 this year. (Photo courtesy of PDEA La Union's Facebook page)
SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) provincial office in La Union has confiscated over PHP5.2 million worth of shabu and marijuana in its different operations from January 1 to June 7 this year.
In a phone interview on Wednesday, PDEA La Union assistant director Nickson Acosta said they have seized the shabu and marijuana in seven operations.
Acosta said five of these operations were buy-busts, while two were marijuana plantation eradication.
A total of 116.13 grams of shabu and five kilos of marijuana were seized and 12,000 fully grown marijuana plants were uprooted, he said.
The operations led to the arrest of eight high-value targets although none of them was considered “big fish” based on their intelligence monitoring, Acosta said.
“The eradication of marijuana plantations took place on the tri-boundaries between Ilocos Sur and Benguet areas,” he added.
Acosta said 447 out of 501 drug-affected barangays in the province have been cleared as of June 7.
“Of the total 576 barangays of La Union, 76 were unaffected,” he said.
He added some of the barangays have still to meet the parameters to be declared drug-cleared.
“We already have two Balay Silangan but some villages need to provide intervention for the identified drug personalities in their areas, such as community-based rehabilitation or the rehabilitation at Balay Silangan,” Acosta said.
Balay Silangan is where drug personalities are rehabilitated. The local government units are required to put up their own Balay Silangan.
Acosta said they continue to conduct sustainability activities, such as symposiums in the barangays.
“We ask for the residents’ continuous cooperation on the anti-illegal drug activities,” he said. (PNA)
