PDEA targets shopping malls
NEW DRUG DEAL SITES
FOOD courts, parking areas and comfort rooms of shopping malls have become popular venues for drug deals, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac, Jr. said a recent string of buy-bust operations resulted in the arrest of suspected pushers selling shabu inside the premises of shopping centers.
“Illegal drug transactions are actually happening in food courts because the place is bustling with people and activity…in the parking area and comfort rooms, illegal drugs can be exchanged discreetly inside vehicles and cubicles, respectively,” Cacdac said.
He added that the agency has received reports that drug pushers are emboldened to conduct their illegal trade inside the malls because guns are banned from being brought in, even by law enforcement authorities.
The PDEA chief called on private security agencies engaged in malls to improve inspection measures to deter the entry of persons carrying illegal drugs.
“This should be an eye opener for all security agencies that are handling shopping malls. They should tighten measures to detect illegal drugs through the use of drug-sniffing dogs; and gun searches without compromising our operations and most importantly, the safety of the shopping public,” the PDEA chief said.
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