PNP 'fortifies' Camp Crame evidence room

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday showed a glimpse of their “fortified” evidence room to prevent possible recycling of seized illegal drugs.

This is part of strict security measures being enforced in the warehouse to ensure the pieces of evidence will not be compromised as the PNP is currently conducting an "internal cleansing" amid accusations some police officers are involved in drug recycling.

According to Jun Veneracion's report on "24 Oras", the PNP's evidence room now includes doors with multiple locks and metal gates that can only be accessed by the facility’s three custodians through biometrics.

“In that way, magkakaroon tayo ng check and balance na hindi basta basta makakapasok si custodian without the knowledge of the other two,” said SOCO chief Police Lieutenant Albert Arturo.

(In that way, there will be a check and balance among them. A custodian cannot go inside without the knowledge of the other two.)

The entry and exit points of the evidence room are also monitored by CCTV cameras.

Arturo added that the pieces of evidence may only be moved out of the facility under a court order and that the Forensic Group requests court orders to burn seized drugs.

The evidence room of PNP’s Forensic Group in Camp Crame in Quezon City has a capacity of at least 12 tonnes. It currently houses around one ton of drug paraphernalia worth more than P6 billion. —Sundy Locus/ VAL, GMA Integrated News