The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested 1,612 high-value target drug personalities nationwide during high-impact operations in 2018.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said Tuesday the agency launched anti-drug operations targeting people who play a vital role in the proliferation of illegal drugs on the streets.
This number, according to Aquino, included 53 foreign nationals, 57 elected officials, 15 uniformed personnel, 43 government employees, 200 drug group leaders/members, 14 armed drug group members, 182 drug den maintainers, 10 wanted persons, 146 target-listed, other HVTs numbering to 407, and 485 drug personalities arrested in HIOs.
“Involvement of foreign nationals greatly contributes to the spread of illegal drug trade in the country. Majority of the foreigners arrested for drug-related offenses were Chinese nationals with 18 or 32.37 percent,” Aquino said in a statement.
A person is considered a high-value targeted drug personality if he/she is involved in illegal drug activities and falls under the following list and classification: priority targets; priority drug groups; government officials, either elected, government employee or law enforcers; foreign nationals; members of African Drug Syndicates; target-listed personalities; wanted listed personalities; celebrities and other well-known personalities; and members of armed groups.
In April 2018, five Chinese nationals were arrested during separate raids that led to the dismantling of three drug laboratories in Batangas and Malabon.
The arrested foreigners were members of the Dragon Wu Syndicate, which is connected to the infamous “Golden Triangle”—known as the world’s foremost drug-producing region operating near the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.