PDEA shabu seizures hit record in Q1

MANILA, Philippines — A record high P5.27 billion worth of shabu have been seized in the first three months of this year, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said yesterday.

PDEA director general Aaron Aquino said the figure was a result of the recovery of large volumes of shabu in separate operations in Cavite, Muntinlupa and Manila, wherein a total of 716 kilos of illegal drugs were seized. 

“This volume of seizures is an indication that we are conducting high-impact operation and hitting high-value targets,” Aquino said. 

These major drug hauls exceeded the total seizures recorded in the first quarter of the years 2009 to 2018, wherein an estimated P4.58 billion worth of shabu were seized. 

It is also double in volume compared to the second highest seizure recorded in the first quarter of 2015, wherein some 314 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P2.14 billion were recovered.

Aside from record drug hauls, anti-drug operations conducted from January to March this year were the highest since 2009.

The number of operations increased by 76 percent compared to the same period in 2018 and resulted in the arrest of 2,818 drug suspects.