By JONATHAN HICAP
Shabu and marijuana were among those seized during the “Oplan Galugad” operation conducted yesterday at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.
Joint elements of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Correction (BuCor) raided the NBP’s maximum and medium security camps, the first under BuCor chief Ronald dela Rosa, the former PNP head.
The items seized included 42 grams of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), 40 cell phones, 1 gram of suspected marijuana, P91,340 in cash, 798 pieces of knives, bladed and pointed weapons, 68 batons, 41 flash drives and memory cards, 448 packs of handmade cigarettes, 529 pornographic DVD movies, 14 DVD players and 69 sets of playing cards.
At the maximum security camp, authorities raided Buildings 5, 9 and 13, home to the Sputnik, Commando, Batang Cebu and Genuine Ilocano gangs.
The suspected shabu was found at Building 9.
Dela Rosa, who assumed office on May 7, said there are many ways to smuggle illegal drugs inside the NBP.
“Maraming paraan. Like ‘yung mga bisita. ‘Yung mga dalaw,” he said.
Dela Rosa said some female visitors put shabu in a condom and hide it in their private parts.
Shabu can also be thrown over the NBP camp’s perimeter wall through the access road that runs along the wall to the National Housing Authority housing project, medium security camp and parts of Cavite.
Dela Rosa said he has requested a new access road far from the wall.
Once the new road is built, BuCor will block the existing access road, Dela Rosa added.
He vowed to put violators in isolation cells or ban their visitors.
“They will suffer the consequence of their action. Binabawal na nga, bina-violate pa nila,” he said.
Despite the discovery of shabu, Dela Rosa clarified that there is no shabu laboratory in the facility, stressing that his goal is for NBP to become drug-free.
