TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) - - In a recent meeting of Cagayan Valley’s  Regional Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs  held in Tuguegarao City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency - Region 2 (PDEA-2) presented the status of illegal drugs in the entire Region 2 as of the second quarter of 2023.

According to the agency’s presentation, the top illegal drug still consumed in the region is marijuana in the form of dried leaves, hashish, and oil, followed by shabu or methamphetamine, with the present street price amounting to P163.5 per gram for marijuana leaves and P7,500 per gram for shabu.

As regards apprehensions for drug offenders, the PDEA relayed as of May 2023 a total of 317 persons arrested, where 52 were considered high-value targets.

With respect to the arrests, a total of 592 grams of shabu was seized, while a total of 22,737 grams of marijuana leaves was confiscated, apart from 22 pieces of marijuana plants, 1,091 grams of hashish, and 154 milliliters of marijuana oil. 

The illegal drugs acquired was said to have amounted to P9,490,915 in total.

The  PDEA also relayed that the top three areas with the most offenders apprehended who are involved in both of the said drugs are from Cagayan, Isabela, and Santiago City.

It was explained that the marijuana supply to the region comes from plantations in Kalinga and Mt. Province, while the shabu trade originates from the National Capital Region, Regions III and IV-A, as well as Ilocos Norte. 

On the other hand, the PDEA stated that the Cagayan Valley is already at 96.67 percent of being drug-cleared, with the remaining percentage covering 77 barangays. (OTB/JKC/PIA-Region 2)