P7.6-billion illegal drugs, chemicals destroyed

MANILA, Philippines - Greeting President Arroyo a happy 62nd birthday, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) spearheaded the destruction of P7.6 billion worth of illegal drugs and shabu chemicals in Cavite over the weekend.

Three tons of prohibited drugs and chemicals were burned at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. site in Trece Martires City in accordance with the regulations of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

PDEA records show that 356.6 kilograms of shabu were destroyed along with 19.8 kilograms of marijuana, 20.38 grams of Ecstasy, 5.53 kilograms of chloromethamphetamine and 1.5 tons of pseudoephedrine.

Also burned were 530 kilograms of ephedrine, 318.2 kilograms of ketamine, two boxes and three sacks of opium poppy, one big box of mogadon, 157.3 liters of liquid methamphetamine, ephedrine and ketamine, and 120 kilograms of expired medicine.

PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago said the illegal drugs destroyed were seized by drug enforcement authorities, including pieces of evidence turned over to the PDEA by the Court of Appeals, different regional trial courts, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Coast Guard and PDEA operating units, particularly its Metro Manila and Region 3 offices and its Intelligence and Investigation Service. – With Reinir Padua