The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) renewed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to strengthen their partnership in preventing the smuggling of illegal drugs in seaports and airports.
The MOA signing was held on Tuesday, July 14, 2020 at the PDEA Building-Main Activity Area, NIA Northside Road, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City, with main signatories PDEA Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva, and BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero. The event was witnessed by key officials and personnel from PDEA, BOC, and members of media.
Under the agreement, the parties addressed the issues and problems confronting the performance of their respective functions. This is to enhance the efficiency of the parties in suppressing the smuggling, importation, exportation, and transshipment of dangerous drugs or controlled precursors and essential chemicals, including instruments, paraphernalia, apparatuses, and equipment used in the administration and manufacture of illegal drugs; and to share the expertise and competence of each other in their respective jurisdiction, fields of specialization, and proficiency.
To date, the partnership has resulted in the seizures of billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs because of coordinated intelligence and operational efforts between the two agencies.
“This new agreement between PDEA and BOC is a big boost in our continuing effort to eradicate smuggling of illegal drugs using our ports which are being exploited by syndicates to expand their nefarious activities,” Villanueva said.
