POLICE Regional Office (PRO) in Western Visayas arrested nine suspects in separate anti-drug operations that took place from 6 a.m. on October 22, to 5:59 a.m. on October 23, 2024.
The operations resulted in the confiscation of 267 grams of suspected shabu worth P1,815,600 and 2,000 grams of marijuana valued at P240,000.
Among the suspects, five were classified as high-value individuals (HVIs), while the other four were street-level individuals (SLIs).
PRO-Western Visayas Regional Director Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky commended the operatives for their relentless efforts against illegal drugs.
“I urge you to maintain the intensity of our campaign in coordination and collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and the community,” Wanky said.
The following are the contributions of different police units across the region:
- Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) apprehended three suspects and confiscated P1,360,000 worth of suspected shabu.
- Iloilo City Police Office (Icpo) nabbed four suspects and recovered P455,600 worth of suspected illegal drugs.
- Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo)arrested two suspects and seized P240,000 worth of suspected marijuana.
The recovery of marijuana took place in Barangay Nagasi, La Carlota City at 11:14 a.m on October 22. The suspects, caught by La Carlota City Component Police Station, were found with 2,000 grams of marijuana valued at P240,000.
The biggest haul of the operations was made by the BCPO at 3:01 a.m. on October 23, where approximately 200 grams of suspected shabu worth P1,360,000 were recovered from three suspects during a raid in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Meanwhile, a week-long series of anti-drug operations by PRO-Western Visayas led to the arrest of 61 suspects and the confiscation of approximately 4,060 grams of suspected shabu valued at P27,613,576.
The operations spanned from 6 a.m. on October 15 to 5:59 a.m. on October 21, 2024, across various provinces in the region.
The following breakdown highlights the contributions of different police units:
- Icpo: 22 arrests and seizure of P11,832,000 worth of suspected shabu.
- BCPO: 11 arrests and confiscation of P10,331,240 worth of illegal drugs.
- IPPO: Seven arrests and recovery of P3,366,000 worth of suspected drugs.
- Antique Police Provincial Office (Anppo): Four arrests and seizure of P1,666,000 worth of shabu.
- Nocppo: 16 arrests and confiscation of P411,536 worth of drugs.
- Aklan Police Provincial Office (Akppo): One arrest and seizure of P6,800 worth of illegal drugs.
The two largest drug seizures during the operations were carried out by the Icpo and BCPO.
On October 17, at around 12:54 p.m., BCPO’s Drug Enforcement Unit arrested a suspect known as alias Mar-mar in Barangay 12, Bacolod City. Approximately 1,000 grams of suspected ‘shabu’ worth P6.8 million were seized from the HVI.
In Iloilo City, the combined forces of Icpo arrested alias Boss/Jan-jan during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tacas, Jaro district, on the same day at around 9:24 p.m. Authorities confiscated 1,000 grams of suspected shabu worth P6.8 million.
Wanky commended the unit commanders, operatives, and community partners for their efforts.
“The success of our operations is attributed to the strong collaboration with our partners. As we intensify our war against this society's menace, I urge all our operatives to conduct in-depth investigation, validate thoroughly all received information, and coordinate and collaborate with our stakeholders to ensure successful arrests of those found engaging in the illegal activity,” Wanky said.
The suspects have been charged with violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)