WITHOUT firing a single shot last July, agents of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) arrested over 60 drug suspects and seized more than P60 million worth of shabu and other prohibited substance, the Journal Group learned.

According to PDEG director, Brigadier General Eleazar P. Matta, they delivered a major setback against illegal drug syndicates through ‘bloodless operations’ with the support of their allied law enforcement agencies.

In a report to PNP chief, General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, the official said that they conducted 52 anti-narcotics operations in July which resulted in the arrest of 61 suspects and the confiscation of P48,403,792 worth of illegal drugs.

The seizures were made as a result of 27 buy-bust operations, service of four search warrants for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and 19 warrants of arrest for violation of the anti-drug law.

PDEG operatives also conducted two major marijuana eradication drives in the countryside in July.

Brig. Gen. Matta said that the PNP’s supply and demand reduction approach since the start of the Marcos Jr. administration is showing promising results.

“The PNP’s comprehensive supply and demand strategy is pivotal in shaping the dynamics of the illicit drug market and implementing effective measures to combat it,” said the official.

The official said the law of supply really dictates that as the price of a product or service increases, suppliers are motivated to increase production or distribution.

Conversely, the law of demand states that as the price of a product or service increases, consumer demand tends to decrease.

For illegal drugs, if prices rise significantly, it deters potential buyers from purchasing or consuming these substances, thereby impacting the profitability and sustainability of the drug market, said the official.

According to the PDEG director, they are targeting the drug supply chain by focusing on suppliers, manufacturers, and traffickers.

“Through intelligence gathering, surveillance, and inter-agency cooperation, we aim to reduce the availability of drugs and increase the risks and costs associated with engaging in illicit activities,” he said.

Preventive education, community outreach programs, and public awareness campaigns are crucial components of this effort, he said.

The official said that by arresting known drug personalities, they have been able to effectively removed them from the streets.

“Each arrest represents a potential life saved from the devastating effects of drug addiction. Removing drug personalities from communities enhances overall safety and well-being,” he said.

Gen. Marbil had said that their ‘bloodless war on drugs’ as cited by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his 3rd State-of-the-Nation-Address last July 22, will continue with more focus on rehabilitating users apart from dismantling the operations of drug syndicates.

The Commander-in-Chief said that “extermination” has never been a part of his administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, stressing that the drive will remain “bloodless.”

Brig. Gen. Matta said that last month, they confiscated the following: 5,389 grams of shabu, 232 pieces ‘Ecstasy,’ 640 grams of ketamine, 813 grams of high-grade marijuana, 170 grams of liquid laughing gas ampules, 40 grams of marijuana oil, 3 pieces of marijuana cookies, 5 grams of Khalifa Karts, 33 pieces of e-cigars with liquid marijuana, 33,000 pieces of fully grown marijuana plants, 818.60 grams of dried marijuana leaves and 2 grams of sativa hybrid.

Before the end of the month, the PDEG accounted for nearly P4 million worth of shabu and arrested 15 of their targets. All arrested suspects are now facing charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under RA 9165.