SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – With a total of 226 successful anti-narcotics operations last year, the regional office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency foresees a drug-free Ilocos provinces and cities at the earliest possible time if not this year.
The operations led to the arrest of 271 persons that include six government officials, two foreign nationals and 13 elected officials involved in the elected drug trade, and earned for the agency commendation for the highest number of apprehended elected officials. The agency either jailed or killed 27 notorious drug group members, and six wanted listed criminals.
In its anti-narcotics drive , PDEA RO1 has recorded to have confiscated more or less 2.2 kilos of the banned methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu valued at least P31-M.
The illegal marijuana industry has also been dealt a great blow when 386.9 kilos were either burned or confiscated amounting to a staggering of P19,342,465 . This is exclusive of the 389, 530 pieces of plants and seedlings that were also destroyed in the tri-boundaries of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Benguet together with 264 grams of marijuana seeds.
PDEA RO1 not only surpassed their operational targets for 2016 but was also a forefront in its information drive as dedicated personnel visited schools, private establishments, barangays and lectured and discussed the evils of illegal drugs. In its information campaign, the regional drug agency gave a total of 362 lectures targeting more than 12, 000 participants. Northbound Philippines News