POLICE recovered P408 million worth of shabu or methamphetamine in a buy-bust operation in San Fernando city, Pampanga following the arrest of a suspect.
The arrest of the suspect, who was not identified, was revealed by Interior and Local Government secretary, Benhur Abalos, on Thursday, the Philippine News Agency reported.
Abalos was in San Fernando city with Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge, Lieutenant General Vicente Danao, after the operation by the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group.
Both Abalos and Danao declined to furnish further details on the identity of the suspect, pending deeper investigations into the case.
“It is more of a buy-bust,” Danao said and noted most of the large-scale illegal drug activities usually occur in Central Luzon and Calabarzon due to the presence of a large number of end users densely populated regions.
In the operation, PNP-DEG operatives found 60 teabags of suspected shabu inside a white van. Each teabag, which has Chinese characters, contained a kilogram of the crystal like substance.
Abalos advised the public to report to authorities any suspicious individuals, places or activities that might be related to the production, storage or trade of illegal drugs.
Abalos lauds seizure of P408-million worth of shabu in Pampanga buy-bust
Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. commended the anti-illegal drug operation in Pampanga that led to the confiscation of about P408-million worth of shabu.
The operation, conducted by the joint elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), took place in front of Mega Station along North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) KM 62, Brgy. San Felipe in San Fernando, Pampanga on July 28, 2022.
Authorities said more or less 60 kilograms of shabu were seized from a suspect who is a resident of Caloocan City.
“Congratulations! Ang galing ng kapulisan, ang galing ng PDEA. Ang galing ng lahat!” Abalos exclaimed as he led the presentation of the confiscated illegal drugs to the media.
The DILG Chief likewise applauded the three witnesses who accompanied the authorities in the operation, which is one of the biggest drug hauls this year.
“Itong tatlong ito na kasama natin sa operasyon, mga bayani rin ito. Kapitan salamat, sa miyembro ng media na sumama, pati rin sa taga-DOJ [Department of Justice] na nandito sa ating operation,” Abalos said.
“This is a symbol of our cooperation and bayanihan. And what is important is that no one is harmed and the whole operation was in accordance with the law,” he added.
Abalos noted that the operation will dispel criticisms that the government’s war against illegal drugs only targets small-time drug dealers.
Since becoming Secretary of the Interior and Local Government early this month, Abalos, a lawyer by profession, has been calling on local chief executives (LCEs) to hire or appoint personnel solely dedicated to accompanying law enforcers in anti-illegal drug operations to stand as witnesses during the inventory of operations and to help build up cases against drug suspects.
