OVER P612 million worth of shabu and other prohibited drugs have been seized by agents of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) headed by Brigadier General Randy Q. Peralta since February 17 as it continues to mount an aggressive war on narcotics on orders of PNP chief, Gen. Dionardo B. Carlos, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

The prohibited drugs were confiscated as a result of 193 operations including 67 buy busts and service of 149 search warrants for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 which led to the arrest of 219 drug personalities, majority of them ‘high-value targets’ in the country and the killing of three others in gunbattles that marred the conduct of the stings.

Under Brig. Gen. Peralta, the PNP-DEG over the past 11 weeks have accounted for 80.8 kilograms of shabu, 440 banned nitrazepam tablets, over 198,000 pieces of fully-grown marijuana plants and seedlings and more than three kilograms of dried cannabis leaves and stalks.

The major PNP-DEG-led operations during the period include a buy-bustq along the Batasan-San Mateo Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City last February 27 which led to the seizure of two kilos of shabu worth P13.6 million; a sting in Bgy. Maasin, Zamboanga City last Feb. 25 which netted four kilos of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ valued at P27.2 million;

An interdiction operation in Mindanao Avenue, Q.C. last March 23 which resulted in the confiscation of 50 kilograms of shabu worth P340 million; and a buy-bust operation in Bacoor City, Cavite last April 25 which led to the recovery of 200 kilos of the same prohibited drugs valued at P136 million;

Apart from being the lead unit in the PNP’s drug supply reduction program, the PNP-DEG is also vastly involved in a massive drug demand reduction program across the country thru its Project READY or Resistance Education Against Drugs for the Youth.

The project institutionalized the standard of preventive information and education program of the PNP to protect the youth from the harmful effects of dangerous drugs while inculcating on them the leadership values and sense of social responsibility.

“We are on a mission to ensure that former drug patients who have undergone rehabilitation thru the help of the government will really turn out to be productive citizens of the country and will be the role models of what a truly reformed former drug abuser is,” Brig. Gen. Peralta, a member of PNP Academy Class 1993 told the Journal Group.

The official said they are partnering with different government agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that former drug patients will be able to acquire technical skills that will allow them to earn a living in order to provide for their families.

PNP-DEG instructors are also providing lectures on drug awareness in different parts of the country including communities and schools. The unit also regularly monitors the activities of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils and during the period has visited nearly 1,200 barangays, 361 of them declared as unaffected by drugs while the rest are either ‘moderately or lightly’ affected.

There are also a total of four ‘seriously-infected’ barangays in the country monitored by the PNP-DEG during the period.

Brig. Gen. Peralta said they are also embarking on a mission to acquire more surveillance and investigative equipment as well as body protection for their undercover agents as part of their modernization program.

Lately, the unit procured a number of surveillance cameras to boost their effort to monitor the movement of their targets.

Gen. Carlos has commended the PNP-DEG for leading the PNP’s massive campaign against illegal drug trafficking thru the conduct of ‘intelligence-driven operations.

The unit is currently mourning the death of one of its agents whom, according to Brig. Gen. Peralta had played a key role in a series of major PNP-DEG anti-narcotics operations which

led to the seizure of over P1.5 billion worth of shabu and the neutralization of over a dozen ‘high-value targets’ including some African nationals.

“We are grieving the death of Patrolman Domino Miñano who was shot and killed while involved in a surveillance mission in Mandaluyong City last Thursday,” said the PNP-DEG director.

After joining the police force to fight drugs and crime four years ago, the 29-year old Miñano left his grieving wife Mylene and a young son.

Brig. Gen. Peralta cited the participation of the slain cop in the implementation of a number of major DEG operations which targeted Nigerian and Chinese nationals as well as jailed drug personalities involved in large-scale trafficking of shabu in the country.

The following are among the major PNP-DEG anti-narcotics where Pat. Miñano participated by either acting as a member of the surveillance team, the arresting and seizing team or poseur-buyer: the neutralization of Nigerian Kingsley Iwumune who yielded a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million; the arrest of Marlon Bayan and Guimalodin Lampay for trafficking of eight kilos of shabu valued at P54.4 million; the arrest of Reineir Reboriano and Joshua Legaspi who yielded three kilos of shabu worth P20.4 million;

the neutralization of Nigerian nationals Gabriel Onyechefula and Emmanuel Christopher Chukwuma who yielded a total of 3.3 kilograms of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ valued at P22.4 million;

the neutralization of Jen Jieko Amarga and Andrew Garcia and the seizure of 31 kilograms of shabu worth over P210 million; the arrest of Randy Rafael who yielded 14.4 kilos of shabu worth nearly P100 million; the arrest of Ace Arciaga and the confiscation of 10 kilos of shabu worth P68 million;

the arrest of Muslimin Salim and the recovery of nearly 17 kilograms of shabu worth over P100 million; the arrest of Christian Ely Desiderio and the recovery of nearly 9 kilos of shabu worth nearly P62 million; the arrest of John Rey Barendse who yielded a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million; and the arrest of Isaac Gabriel Ambulo and the confiscation of nearly 20 kilograms of shabu worth P136 million.

Brig. Gen. Peralta said the slain cop was performing an official surveillance mission along Calbayog Street in Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City when attacked by a group of ‘HVTs’ believed to be involved in large-scale trafficking of shabu in Metro Manila.

One of the two suspects identified as Gerry Yema Geron, a native of Sariaya, Quezon working in Bgy. Highway Hills i City was identified as the gunman who was killed in a gunfight with PNP-DEG officers after he shot Miñano along they were attacked without any provocation by the armed man around 12:45 p.m. last April 28.

The slain suspect fired at least four shots at Pat. Miñano, the bullets piercing the officer’s head before fleeing on board a motorcycle.

He was later cornered at the P & D3 Building located at the corner of Calbayog and Mariveles Streets where he was killed in an ensuing gunbattle.

In behalf of the entire police force, Gen. Carlos offered his deepest sympathy to the family of the slain policeman, the latest anti-narcotics agent to be killed in the line of duty since the Duterte administration launched its war on drugs in July 2016