THE intensified crackdown on illegal drugs led to the arrest of 118 suspected drug pushers and the seizure of P8.9 million worth of shabu in Talisay City.
The drug haul only covered the first month of 2020 as the Talisay City Police Station (TCPS) vows to double its efforts in the war against illegal drugs.
Among those arrested were members of the Obrero family, who were tagged as high-value targets (HVTs).
The latest Oplan Limpyo Talisay led to the arrest of 20-year-old Joma Obrero, who yielded P152,320 worth of shabu after his arrest in Barangay Lawaan 3.
Maj. Gerard Ace Pelare, Talisay City police chief, said Obrero belongs to the “notorious” Obrero family of drug pushers in the city.
Obrero’s mother and three siblings were among the 46 pushers caught during the Oplan Limpyo Talisay drive last Jan. 11.
Talisay was mentioned as a drug-infested place by President Rodrigo Duterte during his Sinulog speech at the Cebu City Sports Center last Jan. 19.
As an offshoot of the President’s recent pronouncement, Pelare said they enforced a static 24/7 checkpoint and placed Barangays San Roque and Tangke on lockdown.
The TCPS sought the assistance of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 7 to implement non-stop checkpoints at the entry and exit points in Tanke and San Roque as these two barangays had been identified as havens of illegal activities, including drug trafficking.
Aside from conducting buy-busts, Pelare said the community’s active cooperation helped intensify efforts against illegal activities.
On Sunday morning, Feb. 2, Talisay police visited 30 households in Barangay Tanke and talked to 136 residents to explain the ill effects of illegal drugs and the corresponding programs of the government aimed to curb the problem.
Police capped off the activity with a boodle feast. (FMD / RTF)