THE PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday said its operatives have seized PHP9.52 billion worth of illegal drugs from May 30 to June 13.
In a statement, the PDEA said in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has also arrested 167 pushers and traffickers in 155 operations, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to pursue a relentless campaign against major players in the drug trade.
Of the 167 arrested individuals, 107 were alleged pushers, 33 drug den clients, 10 drug den operators, six drug den employees, eight possessors, two couriers, and one user.
The two-week campaign included 102 buy-busts and drug recoveries, 15 marijuana eradication drives, seven search and seizure missions, four interdictions, and four substance turnovers.
The PDEA said 1,040 kg. of the confiscated 1,392.9 kg. shabu were turned over to the authorities by fisherfolk after finding the illegal drugs floating off the coasts of Luzon provinces, particularly Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur.
The authorities also seized 165 milliliters of liquid shabu, 4.9 kg. of marijuana kush; 30 kg. of dried marijuana leaves; 75,993 cannabis plants; 4,400 seedlings; 500 grams of fruiting tops; 16 grams of cannabis-infused candy; and over 3,000 tablets and 4.6 grams of ecstasy.
PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez said this unprecedented operational momentum marks a strategic shift from reactive raids to proactive intelligence-based interdiction.
“We are aggressive in solving the drug problem at its roots targeting both distribution and cultivation sources,” Nerez said. “These seizures are not just numbers they represent hundreds of thousands of doses kept out of our streets and communities.”
These high-impact operations were the result of tightly coordinated efforts between PDEA Regional offices and their counterparts in the PNP, NBI, and the PCG.
“The arrests cut across the drug chain — from street-level dealers to drug den operators showing the breadth of our reach and the depth of our surveillance,” Nerez said.
The anti-narcotics body vowed to sustain anti-drug efforts, urging continuous community vigilance and support in dismantling drug networks embedded in both urban and rural fronts.
In his latest podcast aired on Wednesday, President Marcos directed the PNP and PCG to intensify security at all major entry points of illegal drugs.
He also cited the need for full transparency and the physical presence of law enforcement during the destruction of confiscated prohibited narcotics. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
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