PDEA hits record-high drug ops

BAGUIO CITY — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency posted a record high of 1,341 operations from the period of October 10 to November 10, one month after President Rodrigo Duterte declared it as the "sole agency" in charge of the war on drugs.

A total of 404 drug pushers and users were arrested and P53.83 million worth of illegal drugs were seized from these operations, Spokesperson Derrick Carreon quoted PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino as saying.

The agency attributed the record-high achievement on the shift in the agency's operational thrusts to reduce the number of high-value targets through the conduct of high-impact and quality counter-drug operations.

"This is 80.5 percent more than the operations conducted the previous month. As a result, a 14.4 percent increase in the number of arrested drug personalities was recorded," Aquino said.

Records show that the total value of dangerous drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals seized during the period is a whooping 233.3 percent hike from the preceding month.

"Out of the seized drug evidence, 6.16 kilograms are shabu, with an estimated street value of P30.8 million, as compared to the shabu seizure of 1.87 kilograms worth P9,350,000, confiscated last month, an increase of 229.4 percent," Aquino added. —