THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Sunday it was continuing to tighten its monitoring of foreign nationals involved in illegal drug activities.
“In 2016 a total of 112 foreign nationals were arrested for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” said PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña.
“The foreign nationals arrested for drug-related offenses nationwide more than doubled to 79 six months into the government’s war against drugs. During the first semester of 2016, 33 foreigners were nabbed.”
Lapeña made his statement even as an official said the National Bureau of Investigation was strengthening its forces to combat illegal drugs, a priority of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“In line with the statement policy of President Rodrigo Duterte, NBI Director Dante Gierran already formed a task force. This is going to be a National Task Force Against Illegal Drugs,” said NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin.
“We are finalizing how the task force will be composed. There will be three to four teams. This will handle all operations of the NBI in so far as the campaign on anti-illegal drugs is concerned.”
Lapeña said of the arrested foreigners, Chinese nationals still dominated the list with 44 followed by 29 Taiwanese, seven 7 Hong Kong nationals and 7 Koreans. The rest are other Asians, Americans, Europeans and Africans.
From 2010 to 2016, a total of 473 foreign nationals were arrested for violation of the anti-drug law: 112 in 2016, 38 in 2015, 67 in 2014, 77 in 2013, 65 in 2012, 45 in 2011 and 69 in 2010.
“Out of the foreigners arrested in the last seven years, 227 or 48 percent were Chinese nationals. They were either pushers, possessors, couriers, manufacturers or financiers,” Lapeña said.
To address the influx of Chinese nationals involved in the country’s drug trade, PDEA and the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China have signed a “Protocol On Cooperation” on Oct. 20, 2016, in Beijin to control drug crimes between the two nations. The Protocol will be effective for five years. With Sandy Araneta