Ben Madilynn
THE Police Regional Office (PRO) Western Visayas seized illegal drugs valued at P1,074,000 and arrested 12 individuals in separate anti-illegal drug operations conducted over a 24-hour period.
The operations took place from 6 a.m. on September 6 to 5:59 a.m. on September 7, 2024.
Four of the arrested individuals were classified as high-value targets, while the remaining eight were street-level offenders. The 12 arrests were made across six separate operations region-wide.
The Aklan Police Provincial Office (Akppo) arrested two individuals and confiscated around P6,800 worth of shabu. Iloilo Police Provincial Office (Ippo) arrested one and seized P462,400 worth of shabu.
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) arrested two and confiscated P176,800 worth of illegal drugs.
Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) arrested one and confiscated P428 worth of drugs.
The Iloilo City Police Office (Icpo) has arrested six individuals and confiscated around P428,400 worth of illegal drugs.
According to PRO-Western Visayas, the largest drug haul came from Barangay Balabag, Pavia, Iloilo, on the evening of September 5, 2024, at around 8:57 p.m. The suspect, identified as alias Raffy, 29, a high-value individual, was caught with approximately 68 grams of suspected shabu worth P462,400.
Another notable operation took place in Barangay Our Lady of Fatima, Jaro District, Iloilo City, at 6:40 p.m. on the same day. They arrested five individuals, including three high-value targets and two street-level offenders. They confiscated approximately 55 grams of suspected shabu worth P374,000.
Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky, regional director of the PRO-Western Visayas praised the efforts of the police operatives and credited the success of the operations to the community’s support.
“Sa ating mga kababayan, maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na suporta sa ating kampanya laban sa illegal na droga sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga impormasyon. Ito ay napakalaking tulong sa ating laban at hinihikayat po namin kayo na ipagpatuloy niyo ang pagiging mapagmatyag sa inyong mga komunidad,” Wanky said.
(To our countrymen, thank you very much for your continued support in our campaign against illegal drugs by providing information. This is a huge help in our fight and we encourage you to continue to be vigilant in your communities.)
In addition to the one-day operations, PRO-Western Visayas conducted month-long anti-illegal drug stings in August 2024, resulting in the arrest of 307 suspects and the seizure of around 10,707 grams of suspected shabu valued at P72.8 million, as well as 14 grams of marijuana worth P1,680. The region-wide operations totaled 236 during last month.
The breakdown of arrests by police units is as follows: Nocppo, 115 arrests; Icpo, 54 arrests; BCPO, 46 arrests; Ippo, 42 arrests; CPPO, 12 arrests; Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) Western Visayas, 11 arrests; Antppo, Akppo, and GPPO, nine arrests each.
RPDEU-Western Visayas seized the largest quantity of drugs, confiscating around P42.9 million worth of illegal substances. This was followed by the Ippo, which recovered P8.2 million worth of drugs, and BCPO, which seized P8.1 million worth of illegal drugs.
Wanky lauded the officers for their dedication and urged them to continue pursuing suspects linked to drug networks.
“These numbers reflect your dedication and commitment to fulfilling your sworn duties. Continue to exert effort in identifying the associates of these suspects and subject them to law enforcement operations if evidence warrants,” Wanky said.
All suspects are facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (SunStar Philippines)
