Manila, March 27 -- Davao Oriental province launched a specialized task force on Thursday to combat drug trafficking through its seaports, deploying a multi-agency approach to secure the region's maritime borders.

The newly formed Davao Oriental Seaport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Force (DOSIDIT) will operate from a command center at Mati City's Balay Silangan Compound, coordinating intelligence and interdiction efforts among 10 national and local agencies.

Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, serving as task force co-chair, emphasized the province's zero-tolerance policy.

"This task force reinforces our commitment to shutting down all drug smuggling routes through our seaports," Rabat said during Wednesday's memorandum of un...