MANILA, Philippines — Around 200 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P1.3 billion were discovered in an abandoned vehicle in Mabalacat, Pampanga yesterday.
Reports reaching Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr., Central Luzon police director, said the illegal drugs were found in a red Toyota Avanza with license plate ZGS 643 in the parking lot of a supermarket in Barangay Mabiga.
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation and local policemen, who conducted the operation, said the illegal drugs were found stashed in tea bags.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said 161 barangays in Central Luzon have been declared drug-free.
PDEA regional public information officer Glenn Guillermo said the declaration was made after validation and certification by the regional oversight committee.
Guillermo said the declaration means there are no more drug users and drug pushers in the areas.
Of the 161 drug-free villages, 46 are in Pampanga, 40 in Nueva Ecija, 29 in Tarlac, 16 in Zambales, 14 in Aurora, nine in Bataan and seven in Bulacan.
Guillermo said 2,491 barangays in Central Luzon have been cleared of illegal drugs while 450 remain drug-affected.
On Thursday, PDEA reported that only around 19 percent of barangays in the country remain affected by illegal drugs.
PDEA said 7,976 barangays were affected by illegal drugs as of July 31, which is 18.97 percent of the 42,027 barangays nationwide.
The agency said 312 of the 8,288 drug-affected barangays in May became drug-free in the past two months.