MONITORING of drug mules at seaports will be stepped up in cooperation with other agencies to stop the flow of drugs in Central Visayas, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) said yesterday.
PDEA-7 Regional Director Emerson L. Margate said the expected increase in tourist arrivals in the region brought by the closure of Boracay may be exploited by drug dealers.
“We have anticipated this through meetings with other government agencies. There will be measures. There will be a mechanism to address these issues,” Magarte said.
He said they are working with agencies like the Department of Tourism (DOT), the police and military to augment their operations.
“We already conducted operations at the coastal towns of Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Bicol even with our limited resources and personnel,” Magarte said.
He said local governments should do their part to help monitor their ports for any suspicious looking characters who may bring in drugs to their communities through ports.