Anti-drugs ops center opens at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday inaugurated an inter-agency anti-drugs operation center at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex, Terminal 3.

PDEA said the center shall serve as an operations, coordination and administrative hub of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said the inauguration and turn-over ceremonies was attended  by US Ambassador to the Philippines HarryK Thomas Jr., who was also the guest of honor of the event.

The ceremonies were also witnessed by heads and key officials of member-agencies of the NAIA-IADITG.

Known as the NAIA-IADITG Operations Center, the center is created following a memorandum of agreement signed by PDEA,   the Manila International Airport Authority, Office for Transportation Security, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice-National Prosecution Service, Bureau of Customs, Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force, Bureau of Immigration, and the PNP Aviation Security Group, on Sept. 29, 2011.

"The NAIA-IADITG was created to effectively synchronize anti-illegal drug efforts to prevent the NAIA from being exploited as entry and exit points for drug trafficking," said Cacdac, who also serves as the Task Group Commander of the NAIA-IADITG.

He said the collaboration among the member-agencies group resulted in the numerous arrest of African Drug Syndicate members, who tried to smuggle kilograms of illegal drugs, particularly methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu into the country.

"The public can expect a more organized collaboration of efforts among NAIA-IADITG members and look forward to a more efficient monitoring of all cargoes and passengers, both incoming and out-bound, to deter drug smuggling through NAIA," Cacdac said. - Dennis Carcamo