AIDSOTF: Shabu street price soars on dwindling supply

The scarce supply of illegal drugs in Metro Manila has driven the price of shabu to an all-time high of P8,000 per gram, police said yesterday.

The Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) said shabu being sold in the streets are not only expensive they are also adulterated. Officials warned drug users against patronizing them to avoid getting sick.

"What we monitored is that the price of shabu in the streets right now is at an all-time high of P8,000. And there is a shortage in supply," AIDSOTF commander Director Marcelo Ele Jr. said.

He said the shabu being peddled in the streets are leftovers from the supply of busted drug syndicates, which are in small quantities and of low quality.

Drug addicts living along railroad tracks in Makati City and Manila have reportedly resorted to drinking liquor and marijuana because of the absence of shabu. "Nagkatabaan na ang mga adik dito sa amin. Walang makuhang stuff at kung meron man abot langit naman ang presyo at hindi kaya ng bulsa," one user said.

"Ang isang bulto (five grams) ay P40,000 na ang presyo."

Users said a sachet of shabu is now P250 in Metro Manila, up from P100 in just a matter of days.

Ele said that when he assumed his post in September, a kilo of shabu fetched a price of P2.5 million. "What we monitored is that a kilo of shabu now costs P8 million."

The chief police drugbuster said there are attempts by drug syndicates to take advantage of the high price of shabu by smuggling into the country several kilos of the illegal drugs.

"We are closely watching our shorelines and the airports for the possible entry of shabu from Taiwan and mainland China," said Ele, adding that AIDSOTF is now coordinating with Customs and airport officials to prevent the entry of shabu into the country.

"Wala na kasing laboratoryo dito. Kaya ang ginagawa ng drug syndicates, nagpapuslit ng ilang kilo at narere-process na lang dito," said Ele in explaining the low quality of shabu being peddled.

Because of the shortage of supply, Ele said most drug addicts have resorted to using marijuana.

As with shabu, police are addressing the problem by targeting the source of the supply.

He said the AIDSOTF, in partnership with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are enjoining traditional marijuana planters in the Cordillera region to plant Yacon crops.

"We are encouraging traditional marijuana farmers to shift to planting root crops to curb the supply of marijuana in the country," Ele said.

He explained that Yacon crops have good therapeutic value for diabetic and prostate cancer and is popular in the Andes mountain in South America, Japan and Germany.

A kilo of the root crop can be sold at P80 in Metro Manila markets.

Ele said the government has earmarked a significant amount for the project.

"We are now in the process of looking for corporate sponsors to expand our program in other areas of the Cordillera region," the AIDSOTF chief said. — Non Alquitran