THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered intensified intelligence gathering and operations to detect and disrupt new methods used by drug syndicates to transport illegal narcotics into the country.
The order comes as the PNP investigates reports of illegal drug shipments seized in Laos and Thailand that were allegedly bound for the Philippines.
“We are intensifying our intelligence monitoring and information sharing with regional counterparts to deny opportunities for illegal drug syndicates either to operate in the Philippines or to make our country a transshipment point for illegal drugs,” Gen. Jose Melencio Naratatez Jr., PNP chief, said in a statement on Sunday.
“These syndicates often shift to new strategies to continue their illicit activities, and those are the things we are currently monitoring,” he added.
The PNP previously said it was investigating the reported seizure of 521 kilograms of suspected shabu by Laotian authorities from a private jet. The probe includes determining the aircraft’s ownership and examining its flight details.
Police are also looking into a separate report involving a shipment of suspected shabu seized in Thailand. Authorities reported that both shipments were allegedly bound for Manila.
Nartatez said that the PNP would not allow drug syndicates to undermine the government’s gains in its campaign against illegal drugs. He said coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies is reliable and strong, adding that the focus has always been to disrupt illegal activity and track those involved.
He urged the public to help authorities identify drug syndicates’ operations by providing timely, credible information to the police.
