Travelers told: Don’t give drug personalities chance to plant drugs in your luggage; secure them

Personnel from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) inspect baggages in Pier 1 and 3 this afternoon, December 23, 2019, as part of their Oplan Magbalantay operation to secure the bus terminals and ports this holiday season. | Photo taken from PDEA RO VII Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Secure your baggage because drug personalities might plant their illegal drugs there.”

This is the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) advice to the traveling public, especially those using the public vehicles to get to their destination during this holiday season.

Thess Tiuzen, PDEA-7 deputy regional director, said that they had continued to intensify their campaign against illegal drugs especially on bus terminals and ports through their Oplan Magbalantay operation or through their intensified inspections with their K9 team this holiday season.

Despite their efforts, they were also encouraging the public to help them in their campaign against illegal drugs by being responsible with their belongings or things and to report drug personalities that they might know, who had plans to travel with their contraband.

“Bantayan pud nila ilang mga butang kay basi naay kaboang ning mga tawo unya basi isulod sa ilahang mga bag,” said Tiuzen.

(They should also look out for their things because there might be persons with evil intentions and they might place the contraband inside their bags without their knowing about it.)

Read: PDEA-7: We’re closely monitoring drug groups in Cebu

Tiuzen said that they were intensifying their anti-drugs campaign because they would want to make sure that no illegal drugs could enter or exit and would be distributed in the region during this holiday season.

However, Tiuzen admitted that they could not secure all the areas around Central Visayas even with their series of intensified operations.

She said that this was the reason they needed the public’s help and they could even help us by just implementing their own security measures when they would travel.

She also asked that the public approach them or give information about other drug personalities that they know of.

Aside from that, she said they had also asked the cooperation of the local government units specifically the barangays to assist them with their operations.

She said the barangay officials could help them to secure coastal point entry areas not only in Cebu but in the whole Central Visayas.

Tiuzens said that with their continuous operations, they were hoping that their efforts would be enough for Christmas and New Year’s Day celebration that these would discourage criminals especially drug personalities from doing any illegal activity in the community.

She said this would be their way to keep the community safe during the holiday season./dbs