Task force now tracking P6.9-B drug haul network contacts
PANGASINAN OPERATION EXPOSES TRANSNATIONAL NETWORK
AUTHORITIES have struck a major blow against the country’s illegal drug trade, seizing a staggering ₱6.9-billion worth of shabu in Pangasinan — one of the largest drug busts in recent years — following back-to-back operations that exposed a transnational syndicate’s coastal network.
A joint task group is now tracing the source of the drugs and tracking the syndicate’s local contacts.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), working closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Counterintelligence Group, recovered a total of 1.02 tons of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in the towns of Bugallon and Labrador.
The first operation on October 2 targeted suspects along the Olongapo–Bugallon Road, leading to the arrest of a Chinese national and his Filipino driver. Authorities confiscated 125 kilograms of shabu packed in tea bags valued at ₱850 million.
The breakthrough came a day later when operatives raided a warehouse in Barangay Laois, Labrador, where another 895 kilograms of shabu — worth ₱6.08 billion — were discovered inside two vehicles reportedly bound for Metro Manila. The site was later identified as the group’s storage and transit point.
PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez said the packaging bore Chinese markings — a telltale sign of foreign-linked syndicates using Pangasinan’s coastline as a drop-off zone. He added that the coordination among agencies made the operation swift and precise.
Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr. praised the success of the joint effort, noting that it reflects President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for a human rights–based, unified, and intelligence-driven approach to the anti-drug campaign.
Labrador Mayor Noel Uson commended the operation, emphasizing that none of the arrested suspects were residents. He said the incident highlights the need for vigilance and close cooperation between the public and law enforcers to keep communities safe.
PDEA assured that the confiscated narcotics will be destroyed immediately upon court approval to prevent recycling. (Eva Visperas)
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