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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider 'Puppet masters' in and outside PH behind drugs proliferation -- PDEA

'Puppet masters' in and outside PH behind drugs proliferation -- PDEA

Published Jun 8, 2020 12:00 am
  By Joseph Almer Pedrajas Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Wilkins Villanueva has disclosed that "puppet masters" in and outside of the Philippines are behind the continuous proliferation of illegal drugs in the country. Thirty six (36) large packs of dangerous drugs (shabu) wrapped in Chinese character packaging weighing more or less 36 kilograms with an estimated street value of 244.8 million pesos were confiscated in a buy bust operation conducted by members of PNP DEG SOU4 and PDEA Regional Office NCR at Uniwide Coastal Mall, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Paranaque City. (PDEA / MANILA BULLETIN) Thirty-six (36) large packs of dangerous drugs (shabu) wrapped in Chinese character packaging weighing more or less 36 kilograms with an estimated street value of 244.8 million pesos were confiscated in a buy-bust operation conducted by members of PNP DEG SOU4 and PDEA Regional Office NCR at Uniwide Coastal Mall, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Paranaque City. (PDEA / MANILA BULLETIN) The revelation came after PDEA and the Philippine National Police (PNP) seized last week in its latest drug operations some P5.2 billion worth of shabu in Bulacan province and Parañaque City. "Ang mga nakukuha natin is bulk. Ang dulo nito, immediate is bodegero. we still have to find 'yung talagang puppet masters, yung nagpapagalaw sa kanila ," Villanueva said in a press briefing on Monday. "Ang problema dito, sa nagpapagalaw sa kanila, hindi ito nagbebenta ng droga, hindi ito naglalaglag. It's only calls at utos ," he added. Villanueva said the reason why the anti-narcotics agents could not easily catch the "puppet masters" is because of the anti-wiretapping law. "So, itong puppet masters na to, talagang hindi natin makukuha ito, unless yung amendment ng anti-wiretapping bill, dahil dito natin makukuha, sila yung nagpapagalaw eh ," he noted. Villanueva said that illegal drugs will continue to flood the country for as long as those who control the "bodegeros," or those who take care of shabu warehouses, are still on the loose. He assured the public that both the PDEA and the PNP will go after them. Villanueva said that they will conduct "profiling" on the latest haul through their packaging to know the country where the drugs came from. "As far as sources of drugs, we still have to conduct profiling. Then we coordinate with the foreign counterpart, hanapin natin yung the same profile. So it’s really important na makakuha kami ng profile ng dangerous drugs at makita ng court , makapag order ng court for us to conduct profiling," he added. On June 4, anti-narcotics police seized some P5 billion shabu after raiding a warehouse in Marilao, Bulacan, one of the biggest drug hauls in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs. Arrested during the operation were Chinese national Yuwen Cai, Angela Tulio, and Ma. Lyn Tulio. Cai, according to PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa, was a trusted man of a drug syndicate, while the two Filipinas could be associates tasked to do errands for the arrested foreigner. On June 6, police also seized P244 million worth of shabu in a buy bust operation in Parañaque City that led to the arrest of two women, including the daughter of Cai.
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