OPLAN Galugad operations were conducted Thursday at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) amid the resurgence of drug trading, said a Department of Justice (DOJ) official.
According to Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes, the joint operations by the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the NBP started at 4 a.m.
Present were PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa, PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña, Special Action Force Head General Benjamin Lusad, and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
There was no information yet as to what contrabands were seized during the operation.
On Monday, the PNP deployed new SAF contingent to take over the security operations inside the Bilibid following Aguirre's claim that the former SAF troopers have been involved in the drug trading inside the national penitentiary.
The newly-installed troops replaced around 400 SAF troopers assigned to the NBP last July 2016 following reports that high-profile inmates continue to run their drug businesses inside the Bilibid.
Two high-powered signal jammers were earlier installed at the NBP to stop high-profile inmates from transacting business through the use of their cellphones. (SunStar Philippines)