Drug queen who buys ‘recycled drugs’ from ninja cops named

The "drug queen", who buys seized illegal drugs from corrupt police officers who bring them back to the market, has been identified.

According to Ivan Mayrina's report on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho", Manila Police District director Police Brigadier General Vicente Danao named the alleged drug dealer as Guia Gomez Castro.

Castro is the barangay captain of Barangay 484 Zone 48.

GMA News went to the barangay hall to get Castro's side but the officer-in-charge Weng Calma said that she was in the US.

"Itong si Guia Gomez [Castro] has been in the list for so many years," Danao said. "'Yung sinabi nga ni General Aquino na alleged drug queen."

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino last week said that the recycling of illegal drugs by unscrupulous policemen was still happening.

He said that "a drug queen" was buying seized illegal drugs from the police officers, who also protect her from government agents.

The data on the connections, actions, and operations gathered on Castro was the result of the exchange of information between the National Capital Region Police Office Chief Major General Guillermo Eleazar and the PDEA.

According to the information from the Philippine National Police (PNP), there were 16 police officers connected to the Castro's drug operations.

Aquino initially said that there were seven rogue cops.

According to Eleazar, no ninja cop was still working for PNP with six having died, while the remaining ones were either retired, fired, or in jail.

"Makikita natin 'yung mga sinasabing pulis niyang mga yan eh nagkawalaan na. and in so far as we are concerned du'n sa mga identified na may pangalan wala ng active member doon," Eleazar said.

The PNP is monitoring 22 police officers suspected of being ninja cops, Albayalde said. Five of them are in Metro Manila.

"Ninja cops" is the derogatory term tagged on policemen who "recycle" confiscated illegal drugs.

Eleazar gathered the chiefs of 44 drug enforcement units in Metro Manila to remind them of the challenge of the anti-drug campaign wherein those they are opposing are their colleagues.

"Anybody from us even the patrolman, patrolwoman magdadalawang isip gumawa ng kalokohan yan kung alam nila na hindi niyo ito tolerate tandaan niyo yan," Eleazar said. —Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News