Sen. Marcos Lauds Anti-Drug Authorities For Intercepting
P180M Shabu Shipment

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today commended anti-drug authorities for foiling the attempt of an international syndicate to smuggling into the country a large shipment of illegal drugs concealed in machine tools.

On Tuesday, anti-drug authorities seized around P180 million worth of suspected "shabu" or methamphetamine hydrochloride in Valenzuela City from two Chinese-Filipino men, both believed to be members of an international drug network.

"This is precisely what our authorities need to do to put a dent into the persisting alarming growth of the drug problem in the country: hit hard on big-time drug syndicates," Marcos asserted.

The Senator has been urging the country's anti-drug authorities to re-focus their priorities from small drug dens and dealers and instead concentrate on big-time drug lords and syndicates operating in the country.

Marcos said it is encouraging to note that the successful anti-drug operation was conducted through the joint efforts of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-AIDG).

Local anti-drug authorities also attribute the success of their operation because of their coordination with our own Bureau of Customs with the Prosecutors of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the Taiwan Bureau of Investigation and Ministry of Justice.

Marcos noted that in the past there were instances when law enforcement agencies engaged in fierce competition with one another hampering the anti-drug drive.

"This operation is a perfect example of what unity and teamwork can achieve and for this they deserve our commendation," Marcos affirmed.

Recovered from them were three bags containing 36 vacuum-sealed aluminum foil packs, each containing a kilo of shabu.

The suspects are reportedly members of the Asia Drug Network, a narcotics gang operating in China, the Philippines and Hong Kong.

"I hope our anti-drug authorities would not rest on their laurel and continuously intensify their crackdown on big-time drug syndicates. Now that big-time drug syndicates know we are on to their modus operandi they will try to find new ways to ship their contraband."

Marcos called for better government support to anti-drug agencies in terms of equipment, manpower and training to give them the edge they need to sustain the fight against the drug menace.