ILOILO – Around 265 grams of suspected shabu valued at approximately P1,802,000 were confiscated from two high-value and a street-level suspects in Barangay Poblacion South, Oton, Iloilo.
Officers of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU) carried out the antidrug operation at 7:31 p.m. on Sunday, February 9.
The primary target of the operation was alias “Dan”, a 50-year-old jobless resident of Barangay San Antonio, Oton.
Police said aliases “Joe”, 56, and “Yan”, 37, both residents of Barangay Poblacion South, were Dan’s accomplices.
PDEU said the operation followed a nearly three-month investigation based on reports from concerned citizens. The suspects were allegedly sourcing illegal drugs from Iloilo City and distributing it in Oton and neighboring towns.
Notably, Dan had previously evaded arrest during an anti-drug operation in Barangay Botong while Joe was apprehended in 2016 but was released in 2019 after a plea bargaining agreement.
Police Colonel Bayani M. Razalan, Iloilo’s top police official, lauded the efforts of the PDEU and assured the public of continued operations against drug-related crimes.
“I commend the outstanding performance of our PDEU in apprehending these high-profile drug offenders in our province. I urge all drug peddlers to stop now, or they will face consequences,” Razalan said./PN
