BY RUBY SILUBRICO & JEN BAYLON
ILOILO City – In less than a month, law enforcement authorities were again able to haul a large volume of illegal drugs in Western Visayas. The P20.4-million worth of suspected shabu seized is, so far, the biggest single-operation seizure in the city and province of Iloilo and the second biggest in the region.
Around three kilos of the illegal substance were recovered from a couple and their friend on Thursday night, Nov. 9, at Dolmax Subdivision in Barangay Camalig, Jaro district.
Arrested and detained at the Iloilo City Police Office Station 3 were aliases “Shanon” and “Anne” and their alleged helper “Rose Anne.”
The suspects, who were tagged by police as high-value individuals, were arrested at 8:10 p.m. by joint operatives of the Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) and Iloilo City Police Office.
Police Captain Glenn Soliman, head of RDEU, said their main target was the couple who were bodegeros of the illegal substance, which they distribute in the city and province of Iloilo.
Their alleged source was the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Soliman added.
“We have been targeting the couple since last year, and we are lucky that we were able to get an asset who could penetrate them,” Soliman told Panay News.
Shanon, a person with disability due to a previous motorcycle accident, was once jailed at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Barangay Ungka, Jaro for illegal drugs. He availed himself of the bargaining agreement in 2021.
“He received big volumes and he has designated regular customers. It was timely that he has newly-arrived stocks,” Soliman added.
The police recovered the following in the operation:
* buy-bust item
* buy-bust money worth P14,000
* 17 sachets of suspected shabu
* eight knot-tied transparent plastic bags of suspected shabu
* two open, transparent plastic bags wrapped in green tea bags containing suspected shabu
* one Android cellular phone
* non-drug items
* several empty transparent plastic sachets
The arrested individuals will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
On the other hand, PRO-6 director Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor commended all the operating units involved for another high-impact accomplishment.
“Masaya po ako dahil marami na naman po ang buhay na maisasalba at kinabukasang hindi masisira dahil sa pagkakompiska ng iligal na droga na ito. Huwag na po tayong maghintay na ang salot na ito ay makapasok pa sa ating tahanan. Protektahan po natin ang ating mga anak at mahal sa buhay. Makialam po tayo sa laban kontra iligal na droga, para sa kaligtasan ng bawal mamamayan,” Villaflor said.
Last month, days before the highlights of the MassKara Festival, the Bacolod City Police Office hauled 3.20 kilos of shabu valued at P20.5 million. The operation resulted in the arrest of Jummel “Tata” Camento, a resident of Barangay Singcang-Airport, on Oct. 17./PN
