By Aaron Recuenco
The downloading of more funds to the anti-narcotics units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has helped a lot in busting big-time drug dealers in the country.
The strategy was found effective since in the past days, the PNP has already confiscated more than P8.3 billion worth of shabu in separate operations in Bulacan, Cavite, Parañaque, Taguig City, and other parts of Metro Manila and the country.
PNP Chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa
(PNP / MANILA BULLETIN)
PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said the confiscation of multi-billion worth of shabu is unprecedented and “a proof that the PNP is relentless in its pursuit of criminals and syndicates behind illegal drugs.”
In the past operations of the PNP anti-drugs units, police anti-narcotics operatives have to deal with, and maximize the limited budget they have in order to run after illegal drug dealers.
With the limited budget of the PNP anti-drugs units, the accomplishments were also limited to street-level pushing which would result in the arrest of small-time drug pushers.
Police sources said this resulted in the crafting of a new strategy which put focus on the supply-side of the illegal drugs trade. The target was also locked on big-time drug pushers.
During the recent buy-bust operation in Marilao, Bulacan, it started with the negotiation for the purchase of a big quantity of shabu. The result was the confiscation of more than P5 billion worth of shabu.
The same strategy of buying huge quantities of shabu was employed in Cavite where P2.5 billion worth of shabu was seized, the operation in Parañaque City where the two slain suspects yielded some P244 million worth of shabu.
Other big accomplishments include the P18.25 million drug haul in Caloocan City, Navotas City, and Marikina City; some P1.22 million of shabu in Bacolod City; and some P81 million worth of shabu in Taguig City.
Sources said the big accomplishments were motivated by the confidence of the anti-narcotics operatives on the ground to negotiate for the purchase of a bigger quantity knowing that the fund could be made available.
The same sources cited the experience in the past wherein the operational plan of the local anti-narcotics operatives are rejected for lack of funds, or that local operatives have to raise the money on their own to continue with the buy-bust plan.
“Before, the buy-bust mostly involves a few grams of shabu because that is what the local operatives could afford for test buys and other pre-operation activities. But now, we are already talking about kilos because of the availability of funds,” sources said.
“The PNP continues to be in the frontline of ensuring public safety by going after illegal drugs. There is no let up in our campaign even as we are facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gamboa.