P816,000 shabu, 3 HVIs seized in Jaro

THE Iloilo City Police Office-City Drug Enforcement Unit (Icpo-CDEU), in collaboration with other police stations, successfully arrested three high-value individuals (HVIs) in Zone 7, Barangay Bitoon, Jaro, Iloilo City on Thursday, January 11, 2024.

The suspects, known by their aliases Bert, Jane and Nonoy, were apprehended at 7:36 p.m. during a planned operation.

They were caught in the act of selling 120 grams of suspected shabu, with a street value estimated at P816,000, to an undercover police officer posing as a buyer.

The operation was conducted with utmost transparency and accountability, involving the use of two body-worn cameras (BWCs).

These devices recorded the entire operation, capturing the suspects red-handed as they exchanged a heat-sealed plastic sachet containing a white crystalline substance, believed to be shabu, for buy-bust money.

In collaboration with Iloilo City Police Station 4 (ICPS4), Iloilo City Police Station 3 (ICPS3), and the Iloilo City Mobile Force Company (ICMFC), authorities seized several items from the suspects, including one heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing the suspected shabu (the buy-bust item), four knot-tied transparent plastic sachets, seven heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets, and the buy-bust money.

Various non-drug items were also confiscated during the operation, further strengthening the case against the suspects.

Following the arrest, the individuals were turned over to ICPS3 for further processing and proper disposition of their case. This operation represents a significant victory in the ongoing battle against the illegal drug trade, disrupting the activities of key players and seizing a substantial quantity of illegal substances.

Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas Police Brigadier General Sidney N. Villaflor commended the operating units for their unwavering dedication and professionalism.

“The accomplishment of this operation underscores the unwavering dedication of the PNP in addressing the menace of the illegal drug trade within our community. We seek the complete support of the community in our ongoing battle against illegal drugs," Villaflor said. (SunStar Philippines)