Ex-CIDG chief Magalong says some ranking PNP officials involved in drug recycling

A former chief of the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has confirmed that the drug recycling scheme involving law enforcement agents still exists, linking its operations to incarcerated Chinese drug lords.

Benjamin Magalong, who is now Baguio City mayor, described the scheme to a Senate panel as "agaw bato," in which police officers allegedly sell drugs, mostly shabu, they seized in legitimate operations. He said he headed investigations into the scheme when he was CIDG chief.

Magalong also said some ranking police officials, including those who are still in active service, are involved in the illegal scheme.

When asked if he will identify the personalities involved, Magalong asked for an executive session, a suggestion the senators agreed to.

Magalong said the scheme involves arresting Chinese drug traffickers and releasing them in exchange for money, in one case for as much as P50 million, and arresting another.

The "rogue" policemen also declare a "nominal" amount of the seized drugs and take the rest to safehouses to reintroduce them to the drug market, he said.

"Doon po sa aming investigation, lumalabas po na all roads practically lead to NBP (New Bilibid Prison) and we found out that despite being detained inside the National Bilibid Prison, these Chinese drug personalities continue to remotely manage the drug trade in the entire country," Magalong said.

While he said the illegal drug trade is managed from inside the national penitentiary, he claimed there is no drug laboratory inside.

When asked of the scale of operations, he said it has become more "tempered."

"Hindi po siguro ganon ka-grabe noong panahon na nasa PDEA pa po ako at nasa Philippine National Police. Siguro ngayon iba na po yung scale ng kanilang operations, siguro ngayon mas tempered na po," he said.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director general Aaron Aquino admitted earlier this week that drug recycling is still rampant. No less than President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed it, saying the policemen involved in the operations should be killed. —KBK, GMA News