WITH Christmas and the Sinulog festivities drawing closer, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) expects illegal drug traders to haul their supply to Cebu in bulk in the coming weeks.
The CCPO has intensified its monitoring of the entry of illegal drugs in the city, particularly the ports.
Deputy City Director for Operations Randy Korret believes that the bulk supply of illegal drugs from other regions has already arrived in Cebu City.
As in the previous years, he said, illegal drugs start to arrive before Christmas and the supply is usually enough to last until the Sinulog festivities.
Korret said drug suppliers take advantage of the holidays when the people have just gotten their bonuses.
“Malamang nandito na yung supply kung sa perspective siguro ng mga criminal. Pwede rin na before the Christmas season pero usually andito na siguro yung supply syempre by December 24 kailangan may pera na sila (Most likely the illegal drugs are already here. The drugs should be here before Dec. 24 because the criminals need to make money),” the police official said.
Preventing drugs’ entry
To prevent the entry of illegal drugs, the police are closely monitoring the ports and other entry points where the contraband could be shipped.
Korret said the challenge is keeping illegal drugs from reaching the coastal areas which serve as the drop-off points of drug dealers and their couriers.
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019, the Police Drug Enforcement Group confiscated some P3 million worth of shabu from a woman in Saint Jude Acres in Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City.
Korret said the shabu that reached Cebu came from sources outside Metro Manila since these are not of the same quality as those seized from drug suspects whose suppliers are from the capital region.
He also observed that most of the drug personalities arrested recently were newbies used as couriers, unlike those arrested in the past who were both drug pushers and users.
Korret said they are still trying to trace where the illegal drugs that have recently reached Cebu City came from. (AYB / LRC)