BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Citing “new norms” being used by drug lords in transacting illegal drugs in Western Visayas, the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (RLECC) urged law enforcement agencies to beef up security measures to prevent the entry of illegal drugs using seaports and wharves in the region.
At least 19 members of RLECC passed a resolution enjoining the agencies to deploy more personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to conduct “aggressive and sustained campaign” in various ports.
The RLECC cited the report of Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, who announced the confiscation of more than 33 kilograms of shabu and 2.2 kilograms of marijuana worth P228 million from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 2023.
The confiscated illegal drugs were the result of about 1,706 anti-illegal drug operations conducted by the police.
The resolution urged operators of seaports and wharves in Western Visayas to install and maintain operational X-ray devices and narcotics sniffing dogs to prevent the proliferation of illegal drugs.
The RLECC also called for additional deployment of personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) for an aggressive and sustained campaign against illegal drugs.
“The X-ray device provides clear and unobtrusive views of items hidden in containers, while narcotics sniffing dogs have been effective in gathering evidence for the filing of cases under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” the resolution read.
In January this year, the PRO-6 confiscated about 7,713 grams of shabu with a whooping value of P52 million. The operations also led to the arrest 237 suspected drugs personalities.
“Illegal drug trafficking and smuggling through roll on-roll off (RORO) vessels and by the use of public/private transportation are the primary means of transporting large volumes of illegal drugs in the region,” the 12-page resolution said.
The use of technology and the growing popularity of courier services and bank-to-bank or wireless cash transfers are the preferred modes of payment, the resolution stated.
“Security measures to be implemented at seaports and public transportation terminals remain a big challenge in denying the entry of illegal drugs as they serve as a common gateway, along with the new norm of transaction and movement of illegal drugs in the region through the use of social media platforms and online payment applications,” it added.
Based on their intelligence sources, the police said drug distribution in Region 6 was dominated by the “Happy Go Lucky Gang” and the “Batang Cebu Gang” inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
The RLECC will furnish the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) and other concerned agencies and instrumentalities with copies of the resolution for appropriate action.
The committee is composed of various law enforcement agencies of the government and peace and order councils tasked to coordinate all law enforcement activities of these government agencies./PN
