PDEA destructs P5.32 billion worth of illegal drugs

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed over P5.32 billion worth of illegal drugs on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in various anti-narcotics operations.

The destruction of the P5,321,563,665.95 worth of dangerous drugs occurred at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI) in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite.

Among the destroyed substances were 738.2005 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu); 1,478.4915 kilograms of marijuana; 4.8668 kilograms of MDMA (ecstasy); 39.2168 grams of cocaine; 2.2116 grams of toluene; 6.1516 grams of ketamine, 5.5100 grams of phenacetin; 1.0400 gram of LSD; 2,000 ml of liquid cocaine; 49.0420 ml of liquid meth; 1,398.05 ml of liquid marijuana; and assorted surrendered expired medicines.

This included the 404.9515 kilograms of suspected shabu seized by PDEA, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Manila on January 23, 2025.

“These are pieces of drug evidence confiscated during anti-drug operations by PDEA and other counterpart law enforcement agencies, including those turned over by authorities that were recently ordered by the court to be destroyed. Stacked inside a chamber, the dangerous drugs were burned beyond recovery,” PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez said.

Nerez thanked the Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) for the swift prosecution and disposition of drug cases, which allowed for the immediate destruction of the illegal drugs.

He said the destruction process eliminates public doubts about seized drug evidence being recycled.

“It is always done in public in the spirit of transparency and accountability. PDEA wants the activity to be visible to the public to instill trust and confidence,” he stated. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)