Philippines destroys drugs worth 39 mln dollars

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has destroyed illegal drugs worth 1.8 billion pesos (39 million U.S. dollars), a senior Philippine government official said on Thursday.

Senior Undersecretary Dionisio Santiago, PDEA director general, said the 225.658 kilograms of assorted drug evidence were destroyed in a facility in the northern Philippine province of Cavite in front of some local officials and representatives of non- government organizations on Tuesday.

The illegal drugs were composed of powdered shabu, marijuana, ephedrine, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and expired medicines together with 15.5 liters of liquid methamphetamine.

"These are part of the drug evidence resulting from operations conducted by PDEA combined with those turned over by the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group," Santiago said.

The destruction of the illegal drugs in front of the public was made in compliance with the guidelines on the custody and disposition of seized dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals and laboratory equipment as prescribed by the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No.1, series of 2002.

Source:Xinhua