P219 M worth of illegal drugs seized nationwide in week-long operation
By Chito Chavez
(MB FILE PHOTO)
Government anti-narcotics authorities seized around P219 million worth of illegal drugs following the arrest of 51 drug suspects during the nationwide anti-illegal drugs operations from June 20 to 27, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Tuesday, July 1.
In a statement, the PDEA noted that the high-impact anti-drug campaign led to 39 buy-busts, three drug recoveries and large-scale marijuana eradication efforts that disrupted major trafficking networks and dismantled drug dens.
Among the seized substances were 28.1 kilograms of shabu, 833.6 grams of cocaine, 7,015.9 grams of marijuana dried leaves, and 37,750 fully grown marijuana plants, marking one of the largest single-week hauls in recent PDEA operations.
The key highlights of the week-long operations include the marijuana eradication in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) where 37,750 marijuana plants; 30 kilograms of dried leaves were destroyed in Benguet and Kalinga with PDEA agents and local law enforcement uprooted multiple plantations in the region.
Another one is the confiscation of shabu where a single 24.5-kilogram shabu haul worth of P166 million was intercepted in Basco, Batanes, while Metro Manila interdiction operations in Pasay City thwarted attempts to smuggle drugs into the capital about 1,397 grams of ketamine, 58 grams of shabu and 2,405 grams of marijuana kush.
Following the relentless high-impact operations, the PDEA pointed out that high-value arrests and drug den busts were made, among them were 44 suspected pushers.