Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), is pushing for a stronger coordination and interoperability with the military and the Philippine Coast Guard especially in guarding the seawaters and coastlines in the southern part of the country following the arrest of a suspected big-time drug pusher who yielded more than P5 million worth of cocaine in Tawi-Tawi.
Eleazar said 49-year old suspect Basir Daud may have obtained the cocaine through smuggling of illegal drugs via the southern backdoor which has been considered one of the smuggling routes in the country.
Daud was arrested in Sitangkai town and yielded cocaine and an armalite rifle.
“Patuloy na makikipag-ugnayan sa AFP at sa Coast Guard ang inyong PNP upang mapalakas ang pagbabantay sa karagatan at coastline ng ating bansa sa Tawi-Tawi at mga karatig na lugar dahil hindi natin inaalis ang posibilidad na ipinuslit papasok sa ating bansa ang nakumpiskang cocaine na ito gamit ang southern backdoor (We will continuosly coordinate with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the Coast Guard to strengthen the monitoring of our seas and coastlines in Tawi-Tawi and nearby areas because we are not discounting the posisbility that the cocaine seized from him came from smuggling) ,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar said investigation is now being conducted to determine the drug source of Daud and his other cohorts.
Eleazar assured the public that the PNP, PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) and other government agencies will continue working relentlessly to curb the proliferation of narcotics in the country.