Philippines takes control of Meth haul of 1.8 tons in a narcotics bust

President Ferdinand Marcos said on Tuesday that the Philippines had confiscated 1.8 tons of crystal methamphetamine, calling the operation a record and the “right approach” to the fight against drugs.

The illicit substances, which are said to be worth over $230 million, were discovered by police on Monday while searching a vehicle in the southern Philippine province of Batangas. The motorist was taken into custody.

After looking over the drug load on Tuesday, Marcos declared it to be the “biggest shipment of shabu ever caught” in Philippine history.

Locals refer to inexpensive, very addicting crystal meth as “shabu.” It was unclear whether the amount or record value of medications was involved.

Marcos informed reporters, “But not a single person died, no one died, no gunfight, no injuries.”

“We performed the surgery with caution. I think that’s the proper strategy, and it ought to be used in the drug fight.”

Marcos said the narcotics were not produced locally, despite the fact that police were tracking their origin.

Under former President Rodrigo Duterte, anti-drug operations claimed thousands of lives, which prompted an international probe into possible violations of human rights.

Despite Marcos’s efforts to place more focus on prevention and rehabilitation, the drug war has persisted under his leadership.

Since he came to office in June 2022, more than 600 individuals have died in drug-related homicides, according to data collated by Dahas, a research initiative funded by the University of the Philippines that maintains a tally of these deaths.

The drug seizure on Monday, according to Carlos Conde, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, demonstrated that combating drugs “can be done without violence, if authorities really do their job and follow due process”.

Conde urged the Marcos government to renounce Duterte’s directives for the brutal campaign and to call an end to the horrific drug war.

“It’s time for Mr Marcos to walk the talk on drug policy reform,” Conde said.