Biggest drug haul in one operation; law enforcement agents doing their job

The illegal drug trade has become more aggressive, encouraged by the huge profits that would make moving the contraband items worth the risks. Last April 15, 2024, the drug pushers risked moving almost two tons of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth ₱13.3 billion in one vehicle.

The vehicle, which was intercepted at a checkpoint in Barangay Pinagkurusan, Alitagtag, Batangas, was the biggest drug haul from a single operation in the history of the country’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos.

What the drug traders had miscalculated in the risk factors is the continuous surveillance and information gathering of our law enforcement agencies.

Police Capt. Luis De Luna, Jr., the officer in charge of the Alitagtag Municipal Police Station, who led the group, insisted on checking the vehicle after a foul smell emanated from the car while the driver was being asked for a driver‘s license. He was recommended for spot promotion for exercising integrity and mindfulness during the checkpoint.

Drug enforcement authorities said the operation was initiated by information gathered from the intelligence community that a large quantity of shabu was on the move in the Calabarzon area.

Two things stand out in this operation. First, the illegal drugs operations of the law enforcement agencies are working well. Second — the biggest drug haul in the history of the country’s anti-drug war was successfully implemented without a single shot, and without a single life lost.

“I would like to point out that this is the biggest shipment of shabu that we have seized, but not one person died. Walang namatay, walang nagputukan, walang nasaktan (No one died, no one was shot, no one was wounded),” President Marcos said.

He emphasized that this is the kind of drug war that the Marcos administration wants to keep pursuing to eventually shut the door on the entry of drug shipments in the country.

Authorities suspect that the packages entered the country through the coast of Batangas, and the intercepted quantity is part of a bigger shipment. In the past years, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have reported parcels containing drugs dropped off the coasts of different parts of the country.

PDEA is coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard on operations to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country through the coastal areas.

According to the Dangerous Drugs Board, shabu remains the leading drug of abuse, comprising 92.06 percent of the total admission.

Illegal drug traffickers have exploited every means of entry into the country. The Bureau of Customs-ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) had reported earlier this month the interception of several unclaimed parcels containing illegal drugs with an estimated street value of ₱14,825,400 at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC). Among these were 2,452 grams of cocaine hidden inside black bolts wrapped in a parcel, estimated to have a street value of ₱12,995,600; and six parcels declared as various personal items but concealed had a total of 1,307 grams of marijuana with an estimated value of ₱1,829,800.

That clearly shows that drug traffickers are vigilant to use any unattended door or window to get into Philippine territory where the illegal drugs will destroy lives, break up families, cause deaths, and weaken the future generation.

Our law enforcement agents deserve commendation for doing a good job!