The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in coordination with other law enforcement units, seized ₱1.95 billion worth of illegal drugs and arrested 3,702 individuals in nationwide operations conducted from May 1 to 31, 2026.
Authorities carried out 2,941 operations during the period, dismantling 18 illegal drug facilities, including one clandestine laboratory and 17 drug dens, in what PDEA described as sustained intelligence-driven operations targeting drug networks across the country.
Seized substances included 157.30 kilograms of shabu, 8.99 kilograms of cocaine, 1,711 ecstasy tablets, and 2,489.83 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves and bricks.
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez said the operations prevented large volumes of dangerous drugs from reaching communities, underscoring the agency’s continuing effort to disrupt supply chains affecting streets, schools, and households nationwide.
Of those arrested, 238 were identified as key or high-value personalities. Breakdown of arrests included 125 from high-impact operations, 33 drug den maintainers, 21 target-listed personalities, 20 regional target-listed personalities, 27 other high-value targets, five elected officials, four government employees, one uniformed personnel, one foreign national, and one resurgent personality.
Nerez said the inclusion of public officials and uniformed personnel highlights that “position and authority offer no protection from accountability,” as he reiterated the government’s whole-of-nation campaign against illegal drugs.
PDEA said the May 2026 operations form part of a sustained national campaign combining community-level enforcement and high-value target operations aimed at dismantling drug syndicates, financiers, and protectors.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to intensify coordinated operations with other law enforcement agencies, local government units, barangay officials, and the public, in support of its long-term goal of a drug-free Bagong Pilipinas.