BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – Over half a million pesos worth of suspected shabu was recovered from a high-value individual in a drug buy-bust operation on Saturday, September 14, in Sitio Bacolod 1, Barangay Tingui-an, Balasan, Iloilo.
The 31-year-old alias “Binoy”, a resident of the said place, yielded around 79.7 grams of illegal drugs with an estimated value of P541,960 and a caliber .38 revolver with ammunition.
According to Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director Colonel Bayani Razalan, the suspect was arrested by the Balasan police around 9:14 p.m. after he sold P10,000 worth of suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer.
Razalan said the operation materialized through the information provided by concerned citizens who reported the suspect’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.
“It took us two weeks of monitoring and transaction against the suspect. He was so elusive,” the provincial director added.
The suspect was detained at the Balasan police station, facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Data from the IPPO further showed that Binoy was the 15th drug peddler arrested from September 9 to 14 of operations across the province.
The IPPO conducted a total of 13 operations in a week that resulted to the arrest of 15 drug suspects and seizure of around P3 million worth of illegal drugs.
The Pavia police station under Major Dadje Delima seized P1.4 million worth of suspected shabu, making it the biggest haul in the week-long operations.
“I commend the unwavering efforts of our operating team and the community to stop the spread of illegal drugs in Iloilo Province .Their performance is truly remarkable. Let’s continue our collaborative efforts for a more progressive, peaceful, and drug-free Iloilo province,” Razalan said./PN
