ILOILO City – In a region-wide crackdown on illegal drugs, various police units in Western Visayas seized approximately 193 grams of suspected shabu valued at around P1.3 million from March 22 to 23.
The 24-hour operations also led to the arrest of 15 suspects, two of whom were classified as high-value targets and 13 street-level suspects.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) and Negros Occidental PPO led with the most number of arrests at five and four suspects, respectively. The remaining arrested drug suspects were made by the Aklan PPO, Bacolod City Police Office (CPO) and Iloilo CPO with two each.
The biggest drug haul, meanwhile, was recorded in Barangay Barasan, Pototan, Iloilo on Saturday, March 22. Operatives of the IPPO’s Drug Enforcement Unit confiscated 140 grams of shabu with an estimated value of P952,000 from suspects identified as alias “Els”, 49, a resident of the town’s Barangay Purog; and aliases “Mar”, “Sha”, and “Mel”, all residents of Barangay Barasan.
Western Visayas’ top cop, Brigadier General Jack Wanky, lauded the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies and their partners in cracking down on illegal drugs.
“This success is a testament to our commitment to eliminating illegal drugs in Western Visayas. However, we must sustain the momentum to protect communities from the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking,” he said.
All arrested individuals are now in police custody and will be facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002)./PN
