Philippines Drug War: Over $60 mln of illegal drugs seized in Philippine ports in past year

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01:28

The Philippine government says it's determined to continue its war on drugs, despite widespread criticism. Port authorities seized over 60 million dollars' worth of illegal drugs in the last twelve months. Our correspondent Barnaby Lo has more.

On Tuesday, some 700,000 dollars' worth of seized drugs were turned over by Customs officials to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

BARNABY LO MANILA "Huge hauls of illegal drugs such as the one made by Philippine customs this week give the government's war on drugs a big boost. But there have been misses. Several customs officials have been the subject of an investigation into how 125 million dollars' worth of crystal meth were smuggled into the country."

Last week, anti-drug agents found two magnetic lifters, similar to this, suspected to have been packed with meth worth 127 million dollars – empty.

ISIDRO LAPENA CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER "Since August 30, 2017 up to present, the bureau was able to intercept an estimated 3.4 billion pesos' worth of illegal drugs, and arrested a total of 23 drug personalities."

Despite Duterte admitting inability to solve the Philippines' drug problem by the end of his term, those on the frontlines of his war on drugs say they're winning.

Barnaby Lo, CGTN, Manila.