MORE known drug havens in Metro Manila and other parts of the country similar to the one smashed in Pasig City last week will be the target of a massive operation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police this year, officials announced yesterday. PDEA chair Anselmo S. Avenido, Jr. called anew on the public to help by providing information on drug sites. The PDEA's Oplan Private Eye offers a reward to drug informers. PNP chief Director General Arturo C. Lomibao said any drug-related information can be sent through PNP Txt 2920 or Patrol 117. PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force commander Director Marcelo S. Ele Jr. said concerned citizens may also go directly to their headquarters in Camp Crame or call telephone no. 7221918 or 7230401 local 5671. [continues 186 words]
POLICE officials yesterday reiterated that the demolition of at least 53 shanties converted into shabu dens in Pasig City weakened their cases against 377 people arrested during the raid last week and warned corrupt local and police officials may face the penalty of death for coddling drug dealers. "We believe that Pasig City Mayor (Vicente) Eusebio was ill-advised on this matter. This will boomerang on him," said an official of the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force who spoke on condition of anynomity. [continues 343 words]
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced yesterday the confiscation of P53 million worth of ketamine hydrochloride from an Indian businessman suspected to be engaged in the shipment of the dangerous drug to Asian countries. NBI officer-in-charge Nestor Mantaring said 47-year-old Indian national Harris Abichandi would be charged for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The chemicals, which are used in manufacturing the illegal party drug ketamine, were found stored inside Abichandi's house in Merville Subdivision, Paranaque City. [continues 477 words]
Pinoy Kasi I WASN'T surprised when I learned about the police raid on a 600-sq-m lot in Pasig City, with some 40 shanties selling illegal drugs. They were doing this much like roadside restaurants, complete with menus. "Shabu tiangge" [methamphetamine hydrochloride flea market], some newspapers called it. Others described it as a shabu supermarket. And yet it's fairly common knowledge that Metro Manila and other large Philippine cities are now saturated with drug dens. In Cebu City, there are even "shooting galleries," where drug dependents go to get their drugs injected intravenously. [continues 1114 words]
ALARMED by the emerging trend of drug "tiangges," the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas yesterday called on authorities to deploy additional anti-drug agents or drug marshals in barangays, particularly those considered to be hotbeds of pushers and users. The group also urged the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to intensify police patrols and enhance its intelligence gathering operation especially in hard-to-reach communities to stop the proliferation of drug stalls. The PDSP also asked PDEA chief Anselmo Avenido to improve the agency's sleuthing to be able to pinpoint more drug flea markets similar to that raided in Pasig City recently where shabu and drug paraphernalia were sold. [continues 233 words]
SPOKANE, Wash. - Law enforcement officers harvested a dubious record last year: enough marijuana plants to rank the illegal weed as Washington state's No. 8 agricultural commodity, edging sweet cherries in value. The 135,323 marijuana plants seized in 2005 were estimated to be worth $270 million -- a record amount that places the crop among the state's top 10 agricultural commodities, based on the most recent statistics available. "We're struck by the amount of work they put into it," said Lt. Rich Wiley, who heads the Washington State Patrol narcotics program. "It's very labor intensive. They often run individual drip lines to each plant, and are out there fertilizing them. It takes a tremendous amount of work." [continues 102 words]
BOISE - The fight to curb Idaho's meth problem stepped into uncharted territory Wednesday: The wombs of pregnant mothers. A proposal that would make it a felony offense for a pregnant woman to take certain drugs passed a legislative committee despite the concerns of pediatricians who fear the get-tough measure could lead to more abortions and less pre-natal care. But proponents of the effort to crack down on meth use in Idaho say the current system fails to address mothers who put their unborn children at high risk through their own illicit behavior. [continues 408 words]
Drug Offenders Could Be Eligible For Financial Aid New law passed would allow convicted drug offenders eligibility for educational aid if conviction is prior to enrollment. Convicted drug offenders may soon find it easier to receive federal financial aid for college after a recent provision passed by Congress that awaits presidential approval. If approved by President Bush, the new law would take effect July 1 and deem drug offenders eligible for financial aid if they committed the crime before enrollment. Under the current policy, if someone has a drug record at all, regardless of when the offense was, they are not eligible to apply for financial aid. [continues 418 words]
The Russian government has once again reversed itself on the subject of drug enforcement, drastically lowering the amounts of illegal drugs that are considered "large" -- large enough to land a person behind bars. Why does this matter? Arresting and jailing drug dealers is fair: Hardly anyone would argue with that. Some people even think it's effective in preventing drug use. Suppose that's true. Now consider the way it's done in Russia. A few years back, I spent time with people staffing buses that distribute clean needles to drug users (buses like these operate or have operated in a number of cities, but the Moscow government has banned their use here). There were a couple of things that I saw over and over again, in different cities. [continues 545 words]
SOME of the suspects arrested when police raided the shabu colony in Pasig City face the death penalty if found guilty of using minors as drug couriers. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chair Anselmo S. Avenido, Jr. said some of the 377 people detained last week face penalties ranging from death to life imprisonment and a minimum of six months rehabilitation. Director Mareclo Ele, Jr., commander of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force said 167 of those arrested tested positive for use of either shabu or marijuana and were charged with drug use, 129 for visiting a drug den, 28 for maintenance of a drug den, 28 for possession of illegal drugs, 23 for constructive possession of drug paraphernalia, and two for drug pushing. Two others were charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. [continues 100 words]
