27 December 2016•Update: 03 January 2017
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines
The Philippines’ justice secretary announced Tuesday that authorities have seized nearly a ton of methamphetamine this month in "the biggest drug bust" in the country’s history.
Vitaliano Aguirre told a press conference that the more than 890 kilograms (1,962 pounds) of methamphetamine -- locally known as shabu -- has a street value of some 6 billion pesos ($120 million).
"I would like to tell you about the biggest drug bust conducted by the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] in three successive incidents beginning December 1, 23 and yesterday, December 26," Aguirre was quoted as saying by GMA News.
"We have verified with the PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency], it is not only the biggest haul this year, but the biggest so far in history," he added.
During the raids, authorities also arrested 10 suspects -- three Chinese nationals and seven Filipinos.
The raids were conducted under President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.
Since Duterte’s inauguration June 30, the anti-drug drive has seen more than 6,000 people killed over suspected drug links -- with around two-thirds of the deaths attributed to “vigilante-style killings” and the remainder to police operations, according to national police data cited by Rappler.
