Profile new neighbors, PDEA asks residents of posh subdivisions

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) yesterday urged residents of high-end communities to conduct profiling of their new neighbors amid the seizure of at least 166 kilos of shabu during a raid on a house in Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City last week.

PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said residents of exclusive subdivisions should take extra precautions every time new people enter their neighborhood.

Aquino made the appeal after P1.1 billion worth of shabu concealed in tea bags and biscuit cans was recovered from a house along Apitong street in Ayala Alabang Village.

Four Chinese believed to be members of the Golden Triangle ring were arrested during the operation.

“Dapat red flag nila lahat ang mga nagrerenta sa kanilang subdivision at mag-conduct sila ng profiling kung sino mga nakatira, ano mga negosyo nito at ano ang mga ginagawa ng mga taong ito,” he said in a radio interview over dzMM.

Police said those who were nabbed during the operation were found to have rented the house from Josephine Ong and converted it into a shabu storage facility.

Aquino said residents in exclusive subdivisions seldom know each other.

He said this is one of the reasons why drug rings choose posh subdivisions as a base for their illegal activities.

“Mas maganda ilagay ang illegal drug trade sa mga ganitong lugar where it’s hard to detect,” Aquino said.

He said security guards should also impose stricter measures to prevent the entry of drugs in the subdivisions.

Earlier, Aquino tagged the Chinese-run Golden Triangle as the group allegedly responsible for the shabu warehouse in Ayala Alabang Village and the P1.8 billion worth of drugs found at the Manila International Container Port on Friday.