ILOILO City – There are no marijuana plantations and shabu laboratories in Western Visayas, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
“But our men continue to monitor and closely coordinate with the community. Ang region gamay lang so madali ma-monitor sang aton mga pulis,” said PRO-6 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis.
He also said the supply of shabu and marijuana in the region dropped in 2021.
In 2020 illegal drugs seized reached of P154 million.
However, in 2021, the total confiscations reached P86 million and more drug personalities were arrested – 1,999 compared to 2020’s 1,966 drug arrested pushers.
“The supply really declined because of the non-stop operations of the police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. Besides we have not monitored drug groups here. We hope that this year cases will continue to decrease,” Solis added.
He said the seizure of 1.5 kilos of shabu in a buy-bust operation on Jan. 12 in Hacienda San Jose, Barangay Guadalupe, San Carlos City.
The joint buy-bust operation of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO), Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-6 and PDEA seized P10.2-million worth of suspected shabu from 24-year-old suspect Joel Rizardo of Greenville Bato, Barangay Rizal, San Carlos City.
The suspect’s live-in partner, Jean Compacion, managed to escape.
San Carlos City police chief, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jesus Mesajon, said they have been monitoring Rizardo and Compacion for months.
Mesajon also said Rizardo had been identified as the No.1 high value drug suspect in the city.
Police recovered eight plastic sachets of suspected shabu, suspected drug money amounting to P3,600, and a paper bag containing the P3,500 buy-bust money.
Mesajon added they are now trying to determine where the suspects were getting their supply of illegal drugs./PN
