Zamboanga city: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has destroyed approximately PHP1.1 billion worth of dangerous drugs, marking the largest drug destruction event in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Dangerous Drugs Board Chairperson, Secretary Oscar Valenzuela; PDEA Director General, Undersecretary Isagani Nerez; and officials of the PDEA national office led the destruction process.

According to Philippines News Agency, Bryan Babang, director of PDEA 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), reported that the dangerous substances destroyed included 164,006.78 grams of shabu, 6,624.53 grams of dried marijuana leaves, and 4.05 grams of the party drug, ephedrine. The bulk of the destroyed drugs comprised 67 kg of shabu seized by the Police Regional Office 9 and 89 kg of shabu seized by the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG).

The 67 kg of shabu, with an estimated street value of PHP455.6 million, were seized by police personnel in Barangay Bunguiao, resulting in the arrest of an alleged big-time drug dealer. Similarly, PDEG operatives seized 89 kg of shabu in Barangay Rio Hondo, leading to the arrest of three high-value individuals.

The illegal drugs were incinerated through thermal destruction, adhering to strict environmental and safety standards, at the canning factory of the Zamboanga City E and L Corp. in Barangay Talisayan. Nerez commended the PDEA-9 personnel for exceeding performance targets and expectations in the successful destruction of the illicit drugs.

This event surpassed the previous record set by the destruction of PHP331 million worth of illegal drugs at the Libertad Power and Energy Corp. in Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur, last year. Officials from local governments, the Department of Justice, police, military, Philippine Coast Guard, and judges witnessed the destruction process.