ILLEGAL drugs worth P793,714,768.04 were confiscated and 1,125 drug personalities were arrested by the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Eastern Visayas from January to December 2019.
Brigadier General Ferdinand Divina, police regional director, said the “notable accomplishments” of PRO-Eastern Visayas “show a big success for the year 2019.”
“We will continue our efforts in combatting criminalities in the region to maintain the safety and security of the community,” said Divina.
A total of 620 anti-drug operations under “double barrel-reloaded” resulted in the arrest of 711 drug personalities, 607 of whom were included in the watchlist while 104 were newly-identified drug personalities, according to Lieutenant Colonel Ma. Bella Rentuaya, police regional spokesperson.
Of the 397 drug personalities who surrendered, 390 of whom were included in the police watchlist while seven were newly-identified drug personalities.
However, 17 drug personalities who were included in the watchlist were “neutralized” during police operations.
On anti-illegal gambling, the regional police conducted a total of 463 operations that resulted in the arrest of 1,165 bettors, 49 ushers, 12 players, 15 collectors, nine operators, and five maintainers.
A total of P367,122.50 bet money was confiscated and 450 cases were filed in court.
Police also arrested 478 persons and filed 136 cases in court out of the 335 anti-illegal logging operations around the region.
The operations led to the confiscation of 143,783.68 board feet of lumber amounting to P9, 988,643.16.
PRO-Eastern Visayas also seized 38 chainsaws and 129 different types of conveyances.
Of their 1,612 anti-illegal fishing operations, police arrested 3,462 individuals, while P 201,519,264.00 worth of fish and fishing paraphernalia were seized.
Meanwhile, police in the region served 3,538 warrants of arrest, which resulted in the arrest of 25 persons who were included in the provincial most wanted, 39 in the city most wanted, 238 in the municipal most wanted, and 16 in station level most wanted personalities.
At least 318 individuals who were included in the top 10 most wanted persons were nabbed by police last year.
Also, a total of 3,357 other wanted persons were arrested. (SunStar Philippines)