Cut off limbs, then heads
Last Thursday, operatives from the Quezon City Police District Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force raided a house suspected to be a "shabu tiangge" in Bgy. Sto. Domingo. Thirteen were arrested. Several packets believed to contain shabu and other drug paraphernalia were discovered, along with a bag of marijuana, all with a street value of at least five hundred thousand pesos. The house also doubles as a "session house", where users could pay as low as ten pesos to take the illegal drugs. Most of those arrested were users.
This is concrete proof of how prolific the illegal drug trade still is, despite almost weekly arrests and raids all over the Metro. Authorities are having a difficult time because those arrested do not divulge their suppliers, obviously for fear of repercussions to them and their families. Pushers and dealers may be arrested, but not the suppliers. They would rather go to prison than rat on these suppliers, who are obviously powerful and well connected syndicates. The limit of their reach may be boundless, even including those supposed to be on the side of the law. To them, there is no shortage of those easily blinded by quick cash, despite the obvious risks.
This is where authorities need to step their efforts in the global fight against illegal drugs. They need to identify the syndicates, know the network, and start cutting off heads and limbs of the organization. Contraband like these do not go unnoticed. They are merely ignored by those already in the pockets of the syndicate. Obviously, those within the agencies tasked to fight illegal drugs who are already corrupted, including other agencies like the Bureau of Customs, the Coast Guard, the ports, the airports and whatever ports of entry the country has. These serve as the limbs. Start cutting them off and eventually, the heads will react, will panic, will reveal themselves. That's when they can be cut as well.
The house in Quezon City operated as if they did not fear authorities. You cannot operate a drug tiangge in a small community without people around noticing. What is good about this particular raid is that the residents themselves reported illegal and suspicious activities surrounding the said house. The task force then staked the place out until the right time to strike. Apathy is a thing authorities have to overcome. Many poor communities tolerate these activities, as long as they can get something in return. If the war on illegal drugs is to be won, not only here but all over the world, the participation of law-abiding citizens is paramount. If citizens do not want illegal drugs in their communities, then they should fight against it. They should stand up against it.
I am sure there are many other drug dens and tiangges all over the Metro, if not the country. Authorities must identify them, and start shutting them down, before their respective communities become corrupted. It is always much harder to fight a disease when it has spread. The illegal drugs trade is definitely a cancer of society that must be eliminated before it grows.
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