Drug bust in Philippines: 1.8 tonne narcotics valued at $230 million found in van

President Ferdinand Marcos announced on Tuesday (April 16)that the Philippines has confiscated 1.8 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine, calling it a record-breaking seizure and the"right approach"in the fight against drugs. The illegal drugs, valued at over $230 million, were discovered on Monday (April 15) in a van searched by police in Batangas province, located south of Manila. The driver was arrested.

Marcos examined the drug seizure on Tuesday, describing it as thebiggest shipment of shabu ever caught" in the Philippines. "Shabu" is the local term for inexpensive and extremely addictive crystal methamphetamine. It remained unclear whether it constituted a record in terms of either value or quantity.

Authorities were tracking the source of the drugs, although Marcos asserted they were not manufactured locally.

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Continuation of drug war

Under former president Rodrigo Duterte, thousands of peoplelost their lives in anti-drug operations, leading to an international inquiry into alleged human rights violations.

The drug campaign persists under Marcos's administration, albeit with a greater emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation.

Since assuming office in June 2022, over 600 peoplehave been killed in drug-related incidents, as reported by Dahas, a University of the Philippines-affiliated research initiative monitoring such events.

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Human Rights Watch senior researchers pointed to Monday's drug bust as evidence that tackling narcotics can be done without resorting to violence, given proper law enforcement and adherence to due process.

(With inputs from agencies)