Ben Madilynn
IN TWO separate buy-bust operations, police operatives in Iloilo successfully arrested three high-value individuals (HVIs) and seized a total of P591,600 worth of suspected shabu on October 3, 2024.
Around 8:33 a.m., the first operation took place in Barangay Zarrague, Pototan, Iloilo, resulting in the arrest of alias King, 48, and alias Kerker, 23, both residents of Pototan, Iloilo.
The Pototan Municipal Police Station (MPS), in coordination with the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (Ippo) Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) Team 2 and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) in Western Visayas, led the operation.
Authorities confiscated approximately 70 grams of suspected shabu with a street value of P476,000. The suspects also recovered a .22 caliber revolver with five live rounds.
The second operation occurred later that evening, at 6:27 p.m., in Barangay Cabugao Norte, Santa Barbara, Iloilo. Police operatives apprehended a 42-year-old HVI, alias Ian, a municipal employee working as a heavy equipment driver.
The Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit-Special Operations Group (PDEU-SOG) in Ippo conducted the operation, which resulted in the confiscation of 17 grams of suspected shabu worth P115,600.
All suspects are currently detained at their respective municipal police custodial facilities and face charges under RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Ippo Director Police Colonel Bayani Razalan, praised the successful operations and emphasized the importance of community involvement in the fight against illegal drugs.
“I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to the men and women who made this achievement possible. This arrest demonstrates our unwavering commitment to eradicating the drug menace that continues to plague our communities,” Razalan said. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)
