The Philippine National Police (PNP) has confiscated at least P8.4-billion worth of illegal drugs in just nine days from different buy-bust operations nationwide.

“I commend the recent string of successful anti-illegal drug operations of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) and the Police Regional Offices (PROs). The yield of P 8.395-billion worth of illegal drugs in a span of nine days is unprecedented and is proof that the PNP is relentless in its pursuit of criminals and syndicates behind illegal drugs,” Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said in a statement on Sunday.

Gamboa said highlights of their successful operations in the past nine days include the recent buy-bust operations by the National Capital Region Police Office last Independence Day, June 12, where they confiscated P18.25 million worth of shabu in Caloocan City, Navotas City and Marikina City.

He said the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO) also yielded P1.22-million worth of illegal drugs in Bacolod City, PRO13 with P300,000 in Butuan City; and by PRO4A (Calabarzon) worth P306,000 in Rizal last June 12 and 13.

On June 11, PDEG and PRO4A have also a successful operation in Cavite where they seized P2.5-billion worth of suspected shabu and last June 9, P1.8-million worth of shabu were confiscated by PRO3 in Guiguinto, Bulacan.

It can also be recalled that last June 4, P5.63-billion worth of shabu were confiscated from an alleged warehouse in Marilao, Bulacan and a follow up operation was conducted in Parañaque City two days after resulting to confiscation of P244-million worth of illegal drugs.

“The PNP continues to be in the frontline of ensuring public safety by going after illegal drugs. There is no let-up in our campaign even as we are facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gamboa.

In a radio interview, Police Lieutenant Colonel Cherrylou Donato, PDEG spokesperson, said from March to June this year, they already confiscated P12.2-billion worth of illegal drugs from 27 operations they have conducted.

Of the total operations, Donato said 38 were arrested, including six foreign nationals.

“We are continuously doing our job and we can say that all arrested were high value target (HVT) personalities because they have linked on what we call tracing of suspects. Most of the personalities we are following were HVTs,” Donato said.

She said they are eyeing big foreign drug syndicates as they can still work on their illegal transactions despite the ongoing pandemic.

While PDEG is going after HVT targets, Donato said station level operatives are still running after street level pushing.

“Our operatives will not stop going after them to put them behind bars,” Donato said. Ella Dionisio/DMS