THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has announced the arrest of 82 suspects in a continuing crackdown on illegal drugs in Metro Manila.
The latest operations conducted on May 20-22, also resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs valued at over ₱12 million, the NCRPO said.
NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin said the accomplishments stemmed from 59 coordinated police operations across the region’s five police districts.
He said the intensified effort to combat illicit drugs in the metropolis was launched in response to President Marcos’ directive to eradicate small-scale drug pushing.
The Southern Police District recorded the highest number of arrests, with 25 suspects apprehended, followed by the Quezon City Police District with 19 arrests, the Eastern Police District with 16, and both the Northern Police District (NPD) and the Manila Police District with 12 and 10 arrests, respectively. Most of the arrested individuals were described as “street-level drug pushers” who distribute illegal drugs in their communities.
Aberin said the coordinated operations not only removed dangerous drugs from communities, but also disrupted emerging supply chains controlled by young and small-time pushers, highlighting how the drug menace has evolved and penetrated even unsuspecting segments of society.
“We are confronting the enemies on the frontlines—the street-level pushers. These individuals poison our streets with illegal drugs, and the NCRPO is committed to hunting them down with the full force of the law,” Aberin stressed.
President Marcos has instructed the police to develop new strategies to combat large-scale traffickers and street-level dealers.