THE BUREAU of Customs (BOC) on Thursday assured to boost intelligence and simplify the process with the help of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to combat illegal drug smuggling at the Port of Clark.
In a statement, the BOC-Port of Clark said it conducted a coordination meeting with the PDEA on July 18 to identify strategies to be improved.
"The meeting addressed measures to further intensify coordination between the two agencies, improve and simplify procedures on illegal drug interdiction, and strengthen intelligence and profiling capabilities of frontline personnel," the BOC said.
The coordination meeting included PDEA Region 3 Director Ronald Allan Ricardo, Assistant Regional Director Gils Salamanca, FedEx Composite Unit OIC Jason Pagala, and members of the Customs Anti-illegal Drugs Task Force (CAIDTF) of the Port of Clark.
BOC-Port of Clark District Collector Ricardo Morales II, meanwhile, lauded PDEA for its efforts to help BOC in combatting illegal drug smuggling attempts.
"The Port of Clark remains firm in strictly implementing laws and regulations for the safety and security of the public, and we thank PDEA for being one of our major partners in enforcing border protection measures here in Clark," he said.
He added that the stringent measure and collaboration have resulted in a significant amount of illegal drug interception this first half of the year.
To date, the BOC-Port of Clark has seized around PHP125 million worth of illegal drugs since January.
Earlier, the BOC vowed to intensify inter-agency and regional collaboration to prevent the entry of illicit drugs into the country's borders. (Stephanie Sevillano)
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