Task force vs illegal drugs, trafficking up

MANILA, Philippines–The Clark International Airport Corp. (Ciac) signed on Wednesday a memorandum of agreement with partner government agencies for the creation of a task force to combat illegal drugs and trafficking, a statement showed.

Ciac said the move would pave the way for the creation of the Clark International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (CRK-IADITG) and Clark International Airport Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (CRK-IACAT).

“This is a momentous event as we are the second airport after [Ninoy Aquino International Airport] to create a task force to prevent illegal drugs and human trafficking at Clark Airport,” said Ciac President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano.

“I would like to commend and congratulate our partner agencies involved in the signing, and thank you for your continued support as we fight the entry of illegal drugs and prevent trafficking,” he added.

Luciano said Ciac was moving to “make Clark an active international gateway of the country as the government pushes a stronger drive to promote tourism.”

“The gateway airports such as Manila Airport and Mactan Airport, and Clark Airport are the key to be able to harness our agencies to fight all these criminal elements, we in Clark pledge and promise that we shall be unrelenting in this effort to work with you closely to make sure our country is safe,” he said.

Assistant Secretary Abel Lemos deputy director general for operations of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) also said that “this is a momentous event to strengthen our forces to combat the entry of illegal drugs and trafficking in Central and Northern Luzon and this is to show the international community our cooperation and our strong stand that we are serious in addressing this transnational crime of illegal drug and trafficking.”

Lemos also said PDEA had conducted interdiction trainings with airport personnel in airports with a similar task force to combat illegal drugs and trafficking, adding that trainings were also held in Davao Airport, Iloilo Airport, Zamboanga Airport and Cebu Airport.

He said that the newly created task force at Clark would address the illegal entry of drugs and trafficking in Central Luzon.

Among the members of the Task Force are the Ciac, PDEA, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, Office of Transportation and Security, Department of Justice-National Prosecution Service, National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police.

Lemos said that this formidable task force would help prevent the spread and entry of illegal drugs and trafficking at Clark International Airport since it caters to international and local flights.