PDEA gets 2 new vehicles from US gov’t
THE United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs this week formally turned over its latest donation in the form of two brand-new vehicles to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-led (PDEA) Ninoy Aquino Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG).
The two units of Toyota Hi-lux fleet vans will be used by the NAIA-IADITG and the Clark-IADITG, whose men have been given the main mission to thwart and detect possible drug smuggling taking place inside the two major international airports.
The ceremonial turnover of the two vehicles was held at the NAIA-IADITG Operations Center in NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City last Thursday (January 19) attended by former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia, Lisa A. Johnson who is now the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
Also in attendance during the donation turnover ceremony were U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Country Attaché Michael Short, Director Kelia Cummins of INL Manila, INL Office of Europe and Asia Program Officer for the Philippines Rich Maloney, and other top officials of the PDEA, the Manila International Airport Authority, Bureau of Immigration and the NAIA Anti-Terrorist Group.
The INL had long supported the Philippine government’s anti-drug efforts through the donation of office facilities and equipment, vehicles, personal protective gear, chemical analysis equipment for the PDEA laboratory service, and drug detection equipment for the Airport Drug Interdiction Task Groups, said PDEA chair, Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo.
