The Bureau of Customs (BOC ) – Port of Cebu welcomed last Thursday the newly-installed Philippine National Police-Regional Office 7 (PNP 7) Director PBGen. Roderick Augustus Alba who paid a courtesy visit to District Collector Charlito Martin Mendoza.

Mendoza and Alba discussed potential areas for collaboration, especially in the fight against the entry and proliferation of illegal drugs.

“With the full support of the PNP 7, we expect a vast source of intelligence information that can further place our customs officers steps ahead of these drug smugglers,” Mendoza said.

He continued: “To foil smuggling attempts, it is important that we know how smugglers operate, what goods are vulnerable covers for drugs, and the placement of advanced technologies to complement our trained officers.”

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has declared a “total, all-out war” against illegal drugs and urged concerned government agencies to join the Province’s crusade.

District Collector Mendoza met with Director Levi Ortiz of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 7 (PDEA 7) to beef up the Port’s drug enforcement partnership with the PDEA. The agencies agreed to jointly conduct x-ray image analysis and enforcement training to strengthen their anti-smuggling operations.In compliance with the marching orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Port of Cebu, with the guidance of Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, fully commits to strengthening its anti-drug interdiction efforts through intensified coordination with its partner agencies.