Filtered By: Topstories
News

Chinese, Mexican cartels top sources of smuggled drugs in PHL —PDEA


The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Saturday said majority of illegal drugs smuggled into the country are still coming from China.

PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview that Chinese drug trafficking organizations are involved in large-scale drug smuggling.

Carreon added that drug traffickers from China still continue to set up shabu laboratories in the country.

"Large-scale smuggling and set up of shabu labs tipikal na gawain ng Chinese drug trafficking organizations," the PDEA spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, he said the second source of smuggled drugs into the country are coming from Mexico.

He said Mexican drug cartels ship drugs into the country through the "mail and parcels system."

Last January 24, PDEA agents arrested two suspects in Trece Martirez, Cavite after receiving two packages of suspected shabu from California.

The PDEA said that the packages were shipped by the Sinaloa Cartel, an internatinoal drug trafficking group based in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Carreon said that the PDEA has requested the Philippine National Police (PNP) to help its campaign against streel-level drug personalities.

Carreon said this is separate from PNP's Oplan Tokhang, which targets mostly drug users.

No 'Tokhang' deaths

In a separate interview, PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said that a total of 821 drug personalities surrendered through Oplan Tokhang operations conducted from January 29 to February 1.

He said a total of 2, 127 Tokhang operations were conducted during the period.

Bulalacao said that no deaths have so far been recorded since the PNP relaunched Oplan Tokhang last week.

The PNP leadership has released guidelines for policemen, dubbed as "tokhangers," who have been chosen to conduct Oplan Tokhang operations.

Policemen are required to be in proper uniform during the Tokhang operations, which can only be done during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. —ALG, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT