PNP BEEFS UP MARITIME AND AIR PATROLS OF PH COASTLINE VS. DRUGS, CRIME

The Philippine National Police is beefing-up its capability for police airborne and seaborne operations to guard the country’s 36,000-kilometer coastline against intrusions by international drug smugglers, poachers and other criminal elements that use our maritime environment for illegal activities such as illegal drugs smuggling and kidnapping.PNP Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde said the PNP capability enhancement program has programmed more floating and flying assets for the PNP Maritime Group and the PNP Aviation Security Group to boost police response against criminal activity in coastal waters, including recent recovery of cocaine in the eastern shores of the Philippines, believed to have come from vessels in the high seas of the Pacific, and further to be utilized in disaster or emergency response operations.

Albayalde said as police operations will be intensified against supply of illegal drugs and organized crimes, it entails corresponding upgrade of resources to cope with the additional functions with the total amount of Php 1,134,388,799.98 allotted for sea and air assets.

Specifically, the PNP Bids and Awards Committee has approved the procurement of 28 units of high-speed tactical watercraft amounting Php 336,000,000 of which seven (7) of these units had been delivered and are currently in-service.

Read: PNP Maritime Group needs bigger boats

Eighteen (18) more units of similar high-speed tactical watercraft are programmed under the 2019 procurement program as additional equipment for maritime operations, police visibility in the shorelines, and maritime law enforcement and public safety operations.

At present, the PNP fleet of watercraft includes 107 police rubber boats, 19 coastal craft, 25 fast boats, four (4) speed boats, and 10 gunboats or dauntless boats being used by 17 Regional Maritime Units, three (3) Maritime Special Operations Units, and other police maritime stations nationwide.

In support of seaborne maritime patrol operations, the PNP is also adding five (5) more single-engine turbine and training helicopters with the total price of Php 798,388,799.98 to its fleet that is expected to be delivered in August 2019 to bolster anti-terrorism operations and air support to maritime patrol operations in high seas.

The PNP Chief emphasized that the newly-acquired police equipment will steer and enhance operational capability during seaborne and airborne police operations in line with the flagship campaign of the national government against terrorism, illegal drugs, and criminality.
(PNP-PIO)

This article was originally published by PNP Facebook page. You may read the original post here.

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