NCRPO intensifies intel ops vs ‘ninja’ cops

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will strengthen its intelligence operations to target “ninja” cops tagged in the recycling and selling of seized drugs, an official said yesterday.

NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar admitted there might be a handful of scalawag policemen involved in drug recycling. He said he wanted it stopped as it places the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a bad light.

“We have been aggressive against these rogue policemen. That is the reason why we have been arresting police officers who are selling and using drugs,” Eleazar said.

Earlier, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino said that a drug queen based in Sampaloc, Manila had been conspiring with policemen in recycling shabu confiscated from legitimate operations.

The drug queen is said to be distributing two kilos of shabu in Sampaloc and being protected by police and politicians.

Since he assumed the NCRPO post in June 2018, Eleazar has relieved some 500 policemen involved in extortion and illegal drugs.

“Our efforts in the adminitration’s war on drugs would go to waste if we could not sustain our accomplishments. These rotten policemen are not only shaming the PNP organization but the Duterte government as well,” he said.

Eleazar admitted that there maybe isolated cases of drug recycling by some members of the Metro Manila police force.

“But these are not the primary reason for the continuing drug trade in the metropolis,” he said.

In order to maximize the NCRPO’s intelligence gathering, Eleazar met recently with Aquino to compare notes and map out strategy to neutralize ninja cops.

According to Eleazar, he would also meet with other law enforcement agencies to share information on the identities and modus operandi of police officers involved in drug recycling.