THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) yesterday destroyed some P4.15 billion worth of illegal drugs, mostly shabu, seized under the government’s continuing war against illegal drugs.
In a statement, PDEA said the illegal drugs “will never return to the streets” with their incineration at a facility of the Integrated Waste Management Inc. in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City in Cavite.
“The pieces of drug evidence were destroyed through thermal decomposition or thermolysis,” PDEA said.
“Exposed to temperatures of over 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are completely decomposed or broken down and are impossible to reconstitute,” the agency added.
PDEA said the incinerated drugs included 601.44 kilos of shabu, worth P4.08 billion. The rest were marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, codeine, ephedrine, and phentermine.
The illegal drugs were destroyed in compliance with the guidelines under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Regulation No. 1 issued by the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Representatives from the Interior department, PNP, other law enforcement agencies, barangay officials, and non-government organizations witnessed the event.
Last March 16, PDEA also destroyed P19.96 billion worth of illegal drugs, including P2.71 tons of shabu worth P18.46 million, at the same facility.
Meanwhile, PDEA and PNP operatives arrested two suspected drug dealers and seized 57 kilos of marijuana worth P6.84 million in Baguio City last Wednesday afternoon.
A report from the PDEA named the suspects as Arnold Fabian Atonen, and Daryl Collera, both 27 years of age.
They were nabbed by joint PDEA and PNP operatives along Kennon Road, Barangay Camp 7 in Baguio City at around 2:15 p.m. last Wednesday.
Seized from them were 57 pieces of elongated tape-wrapped packages containing 57 kilos of dried marijuana leaves and fruiting tops amounting to P840,000.
The operation was a follow-up to an anti-drug effort last April 12 that resulted in the seizure of 15 kilos of dried marijuana worth P1.7 million.
Police seized P334,288 worth of suspected dangerous drugs and arrested two persons during a buy-bust operation in Binangonan, Rizal last Wednesday.
Col. Dominic Baccay, Rizal PNP provincial director, identified the two as Rymer Amarillo, 36; and Ivan Diala, 37, residents of Cardona, Rizal.
Seized from them were several sachets containing more or less 49.16 grams of suspected shabu and a .38 revolver with three bullets. — With Christian Oineza
