Cebu cops seize P320-M illegal drugs

THE CEBU PROVINCIAL Police Office (CPPO) said it has recovered more than P320 million worth of illegal drugs from January 2016 up to the present.

Supt. Janette Rafter, a police spokeswoman, said the accomplishments in the government’s drug war were in line with the mandate of the local police and from orders by President Rodrigo Duterte to intensify the campaign. She said some 22,000 kilos of shabu were seized in the operations by the police and the rest were marijuana, party drugs, and analgesic ampoules of nalbuphine hydrochloride.

Rafter said the CPPO has also arrested over 8,500 drug pushers from different parts of the province from January 2016 to early November this year. “I cannot say that we in the CPPO are 100 percent successful in our operations, but we have made a significant effort in the fight against illegal drugs,” she said.

On the other hand, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 (Central Visayas) has conducted a total of 56 operations since January this year.

Leia Alcantara, PDEA-7 spokesperson, said the anti-narcotics operations led to the arrest of 102 suspected drug personalities and confiscation of 2,840 kilos of shabu, valued by the Dangerous Drugs Board at about P24 million. Alcantara said PDEA-7 has been successful in apprehending high-value targets in the region, but new personalities continue to pop up because of the big market for illegal drugs.

“The market for illegal drugs is so big. It is worth billions of pesos. That is why new players would take the risk because of the huge market,” Alcantara said.

“We have still so much to do, but we are on the right track in terms of supply and demand reduction,” Alcantara added. For her part, Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) head, Ivy Durano-Meca, said the fight against illegal drugs is a shared responsibility, and not just among concerned government agencies but together with the community.

“The community, especially the family, needs to take part. I hope the community will continue to get involved in the fight against drugs,” Meca said. Rafter, Alcantara, and Meca said that without the community’s support, all their concerted efforts will just be in vain. “I would like to share with you this quote: If you want to heal the world, heal your nation. If you want to heal your nation, heal your community. If you want to heal your community, heal your family,” Rafter said in parting. (PNA)