MORE than P4-billion worth of suspected dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals yesterday were destroyed at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. (IWMI) facility in Bgy. Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite.
Among those destroyed through thermal decomposition were various drug evidence confiscated from drug operations conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and their law enforcement counterparts and military units.
Thermal decomposition or thermolysis is a process where substances are burned under 1,000 degrees centigrade heat.
PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo, together with Secretary Catalino Cuy, chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board; Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rassendell Rex Gingoyon and Police Brig. Gen. Constancio Chinayog Jr, Director of the PNP Forensic Group led the burning of the illegal drugs weighing 700 kilograms and worth P4.1-billion that were seized from various anti-drug operations.
Also destroyed were 601,447,0994 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P4,089,840.92, 110,694,1323 grams of marijuana valued at P13,283,295.88, 6,2800 grams of cocaine worth P33,284.00, 12,974.999 grams of Ecstasy worth P51,534,890.70, 32,5200 grams of Meth +Ephedrine worth P111,218.40, 343,4410 grams of Codeine; 0.0200 grams of Ephedrine worth P6.91; 0.3500 grams of Phentermine worth P25.03, and 177.500 milliliters of liquid marijuana.
The destruction of various drugs is in compliance with the enforced custody and disposal of confiscated drugs as stated in Section 21, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002.
