Anti-drug drive: Security tightened at ports, wharves

CEBU, Philippines - Security at all ports and wharves in the province has been tightened to stop the shipment of illegal drugs.

Cebu, having a long coastline, needs to be guarded against those who want to smuggle drugs through its shores, said Cebu Police Provincial Office director Clifford Gairanod.

This is after the police noticed a drop in the price of shabu in Cebu, which, based on earlier reports, was because of stiff competition.

According to Gairanod, their initial evaluation established the weakest link in the monitoring of the shabu shipment as being in the ports and wharves.

He said that during their last conference with Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, Police Regional Office deputy director for operations, they were instructed to tighten the security in all entry points in the region.

He added that drugs could be smuggled through containers in the ports, so an added layer of scrutiny is necessary, such as ensuring that all items are X-rayed and beefing up security in airports.

Freight forwarders are also tapped to prevent the entry of illegal items.

Gairanod stressed the need for support in the campaign against illegal drugs, especially from the local government executives, urging them to report pushers and users in their respective barangays as they know their constituents better than the police do.

He added that if the fight against illegal drugs will be left solely in the hands of the police, nothing will ever happen because the community plays a big role in this campaign.

Meanwhile, the police arrested a suspected drug pusher in a buy-bust operation that led to the confiscation of at least P600,000 worth of shabu past 11 p.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Poblacion, Danao City.

After selling a pack of suspected shabu to a police poseur-buyer, Reynaldo Sabas, 50, was arrested.

The buyer contacted him and arranged a meeting at J. Luna Extension in Barangay Poblacion.

The buyer, using P500 buy-bust money, bought shabu from the suspect, which led to his arrest.

The police were able to recover from Sabas two medium packs and five small packs weighing 54.4 grams, all valued at P639,560.

The arresting officers brought the suspect to the police station and detained him. Charges for violation of sections 5 and 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared to be filed against him.

Drop in price of illegal drugs

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 said the decrease in the price of illegal drugs is due to an increase in supply.

“Nidaghan ang supply. Diha ni-vary ang price,” said PDEA public information officer Russel Niembres.

However, he added that it is likewise a result of high competition.

Earlier, Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas of the Police Regional Office said that based on his talk with the chief of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group, the decrease was because of competition among drug players in Metro Cebu.

He, however, said they have to study the drug situation, but right now they cannot say that the drop is due to an increase in supply.

“Sa ani nga situation, mao na amo’ng assessment while we are trying to study right now the drug situation. We cannot say pa karun nga nidaghan ang supply, but sa nakita namu, nidaghan ang namaligya,” he said, adding that the drug players are willing to lower the price and reduce profit.

According to Niembres, in Cebu City, the price of shabu per gram ranges from P1,700 to P3,000, but it is different in other regions.

In Siquijor, he said, the price of shabu is high because of the drug’s unavailability.

Niembres said they are now intensifying their campaign against illegal drugs with this drop in price.  (FREEMAN)