SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Jan. 25 (PIA)— To heighten the security and prevent the entry of illegal drugs into the Ilocos region and its neighbors, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 1 led the creation of the Laoag International Airport-Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (LAO-IADTG) at the Laoag International Airport in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.
This is made possible through the issuance of Resolution No. 2 series of 2023 devised by the Regional Inter-Agency on Anti-Illegal Drug Coordinating Group headed by PDEA-Region 1 Director Joel Plaza.
This LAO-IADTG shall boost the strategies to eliminate issues with illegal drugs such as smuggling and trafficking, and other related activities from the country via seaports and airports.
The PDEA said that a public awareness campaign will be conducted to inform passengers, staff, and the local community about the dangers of drug trafficking and the significance of reporting suspicious activities.
These measures are intended to fortify security protocols at the Laoag International Airport.
In addition, a comprehensive intelligence network will be developed to gather relevant information on drug smuggling patterns, trends, and individuals involved in trafficking activities.
To formalize the creation of the task group, a signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Laoag International Airport and member agencies of the inter-agency task group occurred last November 20, 2023.
The inter-agency is composed of the PDEA Region 1, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Area 1, the Office for the Transportation Security (OTS) Region 1, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Collection District XV, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Region 1, Department of Justice-National Prosecution Service (DOJ-NPS) Region 1, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 1, Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) and Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Region 1. (JCR/AMB/REB/PIA Region 1)
