Philippine National Police Chief (PNP) Chief General Debold Sinas admitted that the demand for marijuana and shabu has increased during the quarantine, so they are doubling their campaign to curb illegal drug activities.
According to Sinas, due to quarantine implementation, the number of activities or going to bars where drug users mainly use ecstasy has been reduced.
Due to the lack of bars, addicts now use marijuana and shabu more. This is now the authorities’ focus under President Duterte’s order to curb the drug problem.
Sinas said the increase in the demand for marijuana and shabu has caused them to intensify their campaign against the big-time drug pushers in the country.
One of these was the seizure of P26-million marijuana in Balintawak, Quezon City.
The vegetables and garlic sold from Isabela are said to be the front of the three suspects.
However, Sinas said that although they passed the checkpoint, they did not dig up the cargo and instead only looked at the driver and passenger papers.
But according to an official at Camp Crame, it is surprising that illegal cargo has passed through many checkpoints from Isabela, especially if it is under surveillance.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported that a total of 10,721 high-value targets had been arrested during President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, which started in 2016.
Demand for marijuana, shabu rises – PNP
Government data showed the arrested high-value targets include:
- 287 foreigners
- 362 elected official
- 102 uniformed personnel
- 445 government employees
- 3,098 target listed
- 751 drug group leaders and members
- 66 armed group members
- 1,035 drug den maintainers
- 232 wanted listed
- 18 celebrities
- 4,325 arrests from high impact operations
PDEA added 266,126 drug suspects were arrested in the 183,525 anti-illegal drugs operations conducted since July 1, 2016.
PDEA added 266,126 drug suspects were arrested in the 183,525 anti-illegal drugs operations conducted since July 1, 2016.
The agency also noted that 5,942 suspected drug personalities were killed, which was way lower than local and international human rights groups claimed that around 27,000 people were killed under Duterte’s war on drugs.
PDEA also reported that 20,538 barangays were already cleared from illegal drugs, while 14,308 others are yet to be cleared. A total of 648 dens and clandestine laboratories have been dismantled.