Pubdate: Wed, 22 Oct 2003
Source: Visayan Daily Star (Philippines)
Copyright: 2003 Visayan Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.visayandailystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1688
Author: Gilbert Bayoran

PDEA TAGS NEGROS. OCC.AS DRUG-CONSUMER MARKET

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City have been primarily categorized by the 
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and police as among the consumer markets 
for prohibited drugs nationwide.

At the same time, the police also said that shabu is now the number one 
drug-of-choice of a wide cross-section of society in Negros Occidental, 
from pedicab drivers to scions of prominent families.

Bacolod City also remains the main distribution point of prohibited drugs 
in Negros Occidental, the police added.

The seal-off operation conducted by the police and 6th Regional Mobile 
Group troopers in Brgy. 2, categorized as the drug trade center of Bacolod 
City, helped greatly in downgrading the supply of shabu and other types of 
drugs during the MassKara celebration, Inspector Jonathan Lorilla said.

Of the 153 drug peddlers listed in the police order of battle in Negros 
Occidental, except Bacolod City, 85 have been arrested and charged in court 
for illegal possession of prohibited drugs.

The remaining 68 drug peddlers are now subject of a province-wide 
operations by the different police units, in coordination with the PDEA and 
other law enforcement agencies.

Police investigations showed that the prices of shabu have increased by 25 
percent.

The police claimed that the reduction of shabu supply is now being felt in 
several key municipalities and cities of Negros Occidental, and attributed 
it to the sealing off of Brgy. 2 in Bacolod City.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman