8 drug dens dismantled in Central Visayas since January

CEBU, Philippines — In its anti-illegal drug campaign, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 has dismantled eight drug dens throughout Central Visayas from January 2024 until February 2024.

Leia Alcantara, information officer for PDEA-7, said that dismantling drug dens is considered a high-impact operation, and it is one of their focuses in the agency.

According to Alcantara, five of these drug dens were in Cebu City, two from San Francisco, Camotes Island, and one drug den in Tagbilaran City.

Alcantara clarified that anti-illegal drug operations are still possible in barangays declared drug-cleared, just like in San Francisco Camotes Island, which was declared drug-cleared in May 2022.

"It is part of the reality. It is part of the process of drug clearing operation nga naa gyu'y gi-conduct nga buy-bust operation ang mga pulis gihapon. Sa una man gud, or even karon, naa gihapon na nga misconception ba nga basta drug cleared barangay, nga dapat wala na guy i-conduct diha nga anti-illegal drug operation ang mga pulis or PDEA, but that is a misconception," Alcantara explained.

She added that operations in drug-cleared barangays are proof that the monitoring mechanisms in the barangay and the local government's role in drug eradication are working since they were able to feed information to the law enforcement agencies leading to the conduct of the operation.

Alcantara stated that most of the drug dens they dismantled were houses of the drug den maintainers, and some would ask for entrance fees to use the den and a separate charge for the payment of illegal drugs.

She further asked the public to report suspected drug dens in their community, citing that foot traffic of visitors in suspected dens and visitors of unfamiliar faces paying visits at unusual hours were some of the indications that the place was a drug den.

Meanwhile, the data provided by PDEA-7 in the same timeframe shows that the agency as well as other law enforcement agencies have conducted 653 total operations and arrested 799 individuals.

There were also 30,589.2575 grams of shabu confiscated, amounting to P208 million, uprooted 40 stalks of marijuana amounting to P8,000 and confiscated 3.95 grams of dried marijuana leaves amounting to P474. — (FREEMAN)