MANILA – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed on Friday more than a ton of illegal drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals worth close to P6 billion in Cavite province.
According to PDEA, it burned down 471,478.0639 grams of “shabu” (crystal meth), 312,993.9424 grams of marijuana and 208,909.00 grams of dimethyl sulfone (used as a shabu extender) at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. facility in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City.
The destroyed drugs and chemicals have a total street value of P5,968,744,462.01.
These included the prompt destruction of 274 kilos of shabu seized by the Bureau of Customs at the Manila International Container Port on Oct. 6; and the 208 kilos of dimethyl sulfone recovered by the National Bureau of Investigation in Mabalacat, Pampanga, on Aug. 25.
The drugs were destroyed through thermal decomposition, or thermolysis, that involves breaking down chemical compounds with the use of tremendous heat. At 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are totally decomposed or broken down.
On March 16, PDEA incinerated 3.7 tons of dangerous drugs worth P19.9 billion. The destruction was billed as an unprecedented event, making it the largest in terms of volume and value in the country’s history of drug law enforcement.
Under Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, regional trial courts are mandated to conduct a physical inspection of the seized drugs within 72 hours, after law enforcement agents filed a criminal complaint.
After the judge’s inspection, the PDEA has 24 hours to destroy the seized drugs. Only representative samples, which will be kept “to a minimum quantity” will presented to the court as evidence. (Dexter Cabalza © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
