PDEA Reports 40.7 % Increase In Arrested Drug Offenders In 2015

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has noted an overall 40.7 percent increase of arrested drug offenders in 2015 compared to 2014, a PDEA official said on Monday.

PDEA Director General Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac Jr., said the country’s’ drug law enforcement has also posted a significant increase in anti-drug accomplishments for operational year 2015.

From January to December 2015, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as the country’s lead agency against illegal drugs, in collaboration with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and other law enforcement agencies (OLEAs), have conducted a total of 24,462 anti-drug operations that led to the arrest of 19,406 drug personalities, 1,821 of these were classified high-value targets (HVTs).

A person is said to be a high-value targeted drug personality if he/she is involved in illegal drug activities and falls under the following classification: priority targets, government employees, elected officials, law enforcers, foreign nationals, drug group members, armed drug group members, and other well-known personalities.

“This is 44.4 percent more than the operations conducted in 2014. As a result of the increase, the number of arrested drug offenders likewise rose by 40.7 percent from 13,792 in 2014 to 19,406 in 2015,” said Cacdac.

For the period, an increase of 30 percent in the number of high-value targets apprehended was also observed, from 1,402 HVTs in 2014 to 1,821 HVTs in 2015.

Of the total arrested HVTs in 2015, 37 are foreign nationals, 103 are government employees, 63 are elected officials, 31 are law enforcers, 102 are leaders/members of drug group, 248 are drug den owners, 10 are members of armed group, six are target-listed suspects, 47 are wanted-listed suspects, 571 drug suspects arrested from high-impact operations and other HVTs numbering to 603.

PDEA has shifted its operational thrust towards the neutralization of HVTs involved in illegal drug activities through the conduct of high-impact operations (HIOs) nationwide that include the dismantling of clandestine shabu laboratories, chemical warehouses, drug dens and shabu tiangges, eradication of marijuana plantation sites, and high-volume seizures of dangerous drugs.

In 2015, PDEA and OLEAs conducted a total of 289 high-impact operations which resulted in the dismantling of two clandestine laboratories used in the manufacture of shabu, one shabu warehouse, 75 drug dens, two shabu tiangges and three marijuana facilities. In addition, 286 marijuana plantation sites were destroyed in 22 eradication operations that led to the destruction of P280.08 million worth of illegal hemp. Ten interdiction operations and 174 HIOs resulting to high volume seizures of illegal drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs), were also conducted during the period.

“These achievements further demonstrate that the government is on strategic track in stepping up the conduct of high-impact anti-drug operations, leading to the eventual arrests of HVTs and making significant dents against the country’s illegal drug trade,” Cacdac said.

Cacdac also noted with the support of PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez to clear drug affected areas in barangay until all cities and municipalities to be cleared.

” Yung all out support of PNP against droga nung umupo ang ating chief pnp kung maalala nyo sa acceptance speech nya sinabi nya we will clear drug affected areas barangay by barangay until all cities and municipalities are cleared,” Cacdac explained.

He also said with the directives of chief PNP the police are now the target of street level pusher as they task to arrest the top 10 drug personalities on their area of responsibility.

Ngayon ang hepe po ng pulis merong 10 notorious drug pushers meron din sa probinsya at meron sa region buwan buwan binibilang po ng pnp kung ilan na ang nahuhuli. Ang nangyayari po ngayon yung street level pusher ay naasikaso na ng maaayos kaya last year yung mahigit 19,000 na nahuli natin na drug personalities yung mahigit na 17,000 hinuli po ng pnp at 2,000 lang nahuli ng PDEA. Ang nangyari po sa street level pushers ay inaasikaso na ng ating mga cops,” he added.

With the development, Cacdac said the PDEA and PNP-Anti Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) and NBI has now time in focusing to locate the supply of illegal drugs.

In the just-concluded PDEA Command Conference and Intelligence Workshop, PDEA renewed its resolve to implement the anti-drug law for a more united and organized system of fighting illegal drugs by setting performance targets for 2016. (PNA) FPV/CLTC