PDEA seeking US agency assistance in combating Darknet drug trade

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is asking the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to help train its personnel combat the illegal drugs trade via the Darknet, Director General Aaron Aquino said.

“PDEA is asking the US DEA to train PDEA, PNP (Philippine National Police), AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to upgrade our capability to address the problem,” he told INQUIRER.net on Wednesday.

Aquino said that selling drugs through the Darknet is something new in the country since Filipinos can now purchase illegal drugs online “in the comfort of their homes.”

“It’s only in recent years that drug pushers and users are using the dark web,” he said in a separate text message on Thursday.

He added that buyers can now even rate the service of the seller.

“May mga (There are) reviews and feedback, so you can select which is the best seller based on the reviews,” Aquino said.

According to Aquino, the last option of the PDEA to capture Steve Pasion, a suspected top dealer of party drugs in Metro Manila, was to buy drugs from him online.

READ: Drug supplier to celebrities, models killed in buy-bust

Pasion was killed in a buy-bust operation in Manila in March after he allegedly resisted arrest. /gsg

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