PDEA destroys P965-M illegal drugs

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) yesterday destroyed P965 million worth of dangerous drugs seized in past operations.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said the destroyed contraband included 722,446.5 grams (722.4 kilograms) of shabu, cocaine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, marijuana, ecstasy, Valium, expired medicine, and 4.3 liters of illegal drugs.

Cacdac said these dangerous drugs and expired medicine were properly turned over and endorsed with corresponding documents to the PDEA by other law enforcement agencies like the National Bureau of Investigation and various regional trial courts.

He said these illegal drugs and substances were no longer needed as evidence in court.

The drugs were destroyed at the Clean Leaf International Corp. (CLIC) facility located in Barangay Maysilo, Malabon City.

The drugs were subjected to thermal decomposition, a process that makes it impossible to reconstruct the substances, officials said.

Cacdac said the aim of the destruction was to show to the public that dangerous drugs seized by authorities are not being reused, recycled or sold back in the streets.