MACARTHUR, Leyte- Police authorities of this town said that former drug users appear to have returned to the illegal drug trade.
Recently, a surrenderee under the ‘Oplan: Tokhang’ was arrested by the local police for selling methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu to an undercover agent.
Seized from the suspect, Antonio Robin, 32 and a resident of Barangay Danao, were three sachets of shabu during a buy-bust operation at a local cockpit.
Police Senior Inspector Ariel Salarda, town police chief, said Robin has been under close surveillance by police authorities in December after the suspect came back from a visit in Manila.
The PNP suspected that Robin obtained his illegal drugs supply from Manila and carry it by land and sell them in their area.
Salarda expressed alarm that former drug surrenderees in their area are slowly going back into drug use and drug dealing activities.
He said they have noted the resurgence of the illegal drug trade after the illegal drug campaign was turned over from the Philippine National Police to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in October of last year.
But President Rodrigo Duterte tasked again the police organization to lead in the crackdown against illegal drugs last December.
The President issued the order “in response to a clamor from the public to restore to the PNP and other law enforcement agencies the responsibility of providing active support to the PDEA.”
(AHLETTE C. REYES)
