PNP seizes P700-M worth of illegal drugs in a week-long operation

INQUIRER file photo of methamphetamine or shabu

MANILA, Philippines – Over P700-million worth of illegal drugs were seized from 27 suspects arrested in a string of buy-bust operations conducted nationwide from September 9 to 15, according to the Philippine National Police – Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG).

Authorities confiscated 115,783 grams of crystal meth, locally known as shabu, and 22,000 pieces of marijuana plants, amounting to P791,724,400, based on PDEG’s weekly report released on Monday.

PDEG also disclosed the narcotics were from 18 operations it conducted during the said period.

READ: PNP to sustain ramped up drive vs illegal drugs

Last month, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said that the police force is now implementing a recalibrated approach, which he said targets the sources and supply chains rather than focusing on street-level pushers and users.

“Our previous strategies concentrated too much on cutting off the heads, but we need to target the body –  the entire supply chain and the sources driving the drug trade,” Marbil said in a statement.  — Emmanuel John Abris, INQUIRER.net intern