2013 was a banner year for anti-narcotics drive, says drug agency

MANILA, Philippines—Over 800 kilograms of illegal drugs with a street value of P4.6 billion were confiscated in various drug-bust operations in 2013, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Tuesday.

The amount of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) seized from January to December 2013 was more than six times  what the authorities confiscated in 2102, according to Arturo Cacdac Jr., PDEA director general.

“PDEA and other law enforcement agencies posted a notable increase in the confiscation of… shabu (in) 2013, an unprecedented increase in the country’s drug law enforcement history,” Cacdac said in a statement.

“This is, without a doubt, a banner year for the national anti-drug campaign. The revitalized interagency coordination and collaboration, the active participation of the various sectors of society and the strengthened partnerships with foreign counterparts have made all these achievements possible,” he said.

During the past 12 months, he said, a total of 834 kilograms  of shabu was seized in various drug busts conducted by PDEA, police and other government agencies.

This was 643 percent higher than the 112 kilos of shabu seized in 2012, he said.

It was also more than the 578 kilos  of illegal drugs seized from 2009 to 2012, the PDEA chief added.

“PDEA’s foremost mission is to suppress the supply and neutralize the source of dangerous drugs,” Cacdac said.

He said the authorities also destroyed marijuana plants worth P471 million after swooping down on 419 plantations in various parts of the country.

Cacdac said among the biggest drug hauls in 2013 was the recovery of 432 kilos  of shabu worth over P2 billion in Subic, Zambales, during a joint operation of PDEA and the Bureau of Customs.

But perhaps the most notable anti-illegal drugs operations in 2013 was conducted by PDEA and the Philippine National Police in Lipa City on Christmas Day, which resulted in the confiscation of 84 kilos of shabu worth P420 million.

Cacdac said PDEA and other law enforcement offices carried out a total of 16,144 operations that led to the arrest of 8,674 drug personalities and the confiscation of P5.3 billion worth of dangerous drugs and drug ingredients.

“Of the total arrested drug personalities, 73 are foreign nationals who are either involved in the selling, possession, trafficking and manufacturing of illegal drugs,” Cacdac said.

He said the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group seized some P103 million worth of shabu and cocaine from four arrested drug couriers.