Over P89-B illegal drugs seized in 6 years: PDEA

FILE: PHP 1.088 Billion Pesos worth of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride or Shabu, weighing approximately 160 kilograms was seized in a Buy-Bust Operation conducted on March 8, 2022 at around 3:30PM in Brgy. Karuhatan, Valenzuela City (Photo: PDEA Top Stories/Facebook)

MANILA – Authorities have seized a total of PHP89.29 billion worth of narcotics across the country since the start of the Duterte administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs in mid-2016.

In its latest Real Numbers data as of April 30 and released on Sunday, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the items included PHP76.55 billion worth of shabu.

Authorities have destroyed 8,177.79 kilograms (kg) of shabu, 4,226.08 kg of marijuana, 21.93 kg of ecstasy, 534.20 kg of cocaine, and 3,483.67 kg of other dangerous drugs.

A total of 1,156 drug dens and 19 clandestine shabu laboratories were likewise dismantled from July 2016 to April 2022.

A total of 15,096 high-value targets (HVTs) nationwide were arrested — 6,768 HVTs from high-impact operations; 4,043 target-listed suspects; 1,670 drug den maintainers; 797 drug group leaders/members; 529 government employees; 402 elected officials; 364 foreigners; 295 included on wanted lists; 126 uniformed personnel; 78 armed group members; and 24 prominent personalities.

Authorities also arrested 341,494 other individuals involved in illegal drugs.

The 4,372 arrested minors include 2,635 pushers; 1,004 possessors; 453 users; 246 visitors of drug den; 10 drug den maintainers; 18 drug den employees; three cultivators, one lab employee; and two runners.

The rescued minors, after court proceedings, were turned over to the Bahay Pag-asa reform centers of local government units within eight hours of police custody, before turning them over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

At least 25,061 out of the 42,045 villages are now drug-cleared; 6,574 are drug unaffected/drug-free; and 10,410 have yet to be cleared of illegal drugs.

The villages have reached drug-cleared status after the issuance of a certification by members of the oversight committee.

The consolidated report showed 6,248 suspects died during 236,620 anti-illegal drug operations.