Step up police searches, checkpoints to stem influx of marijuana, says Año

MANILA, Philippines — Police officers must intensify searches at checkpoints as marijuana, believed to being used as an alternative to shabu, is being transported to Metro Manila and nearby regions, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Wednesday.

“Kailangang paigtingin iyong mga checkpoint na iyan kasi magaling itong mga grupo na ito. Inihahalo nila sa mga finished products at itinatago sa seat compartments ng sasakyan,” said Año over GMA Unang Balita when asked about his advice on marijuana being delivered from Mountain province to Metro Manila and its nearby regions.

(We need to boost our checkpoints because these groups are innovative. They would mix the marijuana with finished products and hide the drugs in seat compartments of their vehicles.)

“Alam mo marami silang [drug pushers] innovations, initiatives so kailangan talaga sa mga checkpoints natin at iyong intelligence dapat paigtingin,” the interior secretary added.

(They have a lot of innovations and initiatives so we need to intensify searches at our checkpoints as well as intelligence operations.)

On Monday, Philippine National Police chief Police General Debold Sinas announced that they will investigate whether marijuana is being used as a substitute for shabu (crystal meth).

Recently, 217 blocks of dried marijuana were confiscated from high-value suspects in Balintawak. The plant-based illegal drug were sourced from the Cordillera Administrative Region.

EDV