P132M worth of illegal drugs seized in first 18 days of 2024- Acorda
Around P132 million worth of illegal drugs have been confiscated in the first 18 days of 2024, national police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda, Jr. said as he vowed more aggressive operations this year.
Acorda said the P132 million worth of illegal drugs seized was a result of the 1,376 anti-illegal drugs operations conducted nationwide, which he said, also led to the arrest of a total of 1,661 illegal drugs personalities.
“These efforts highlight our determination to eradicate the menace of illegal drugs from our communities, thereby safeguarding the well-being of our citizens,” said Acorda.
Acorda said the aggressive operations on the streets are backed by continuous internal cleansing aimed at weeding out the police organization with those linked to illegal drugs activities.
Part of the internal cleansing process, according to him, is the conduct of random drug tests.
From Jan. 1, Acorda said a total of 4,614 personnel underwent a drug test— 4,517 of them were uniformed personnel while the rest were civilian employees.
The random drug test, according to the official, resulted in six policemen testing positive— five from Metro Manila and one from Eastern Visayas.
“Rest assured, the PNP will not tolerate such behavior, and we will ensure that appropriate charges are filed to address this issue and uphold the uncompromising principles of a drug-free police force,” said Acorda.