ILOILO City – The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) scored another major drug haul after police operatives recovered over P2.3 million worth of alleged shabu from a high-value target in Balasan, Iloilo.
Officers of the Station Drug Enforcement Team of Balasan police station carried out the buy-bust operation at 2:50 p.m. on Sept. 22 in the town’s Barangay Pani-an, resulting in the arrest of alias “Joel,” 45, a resident of Barangay Malbog, Estancia, Iloilo.
Seized from the suspect were roughly 340 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P2,312,000.
The arrest came less than 24 hours after police nabbed the 32-year-old alias “Dave” in a late-night buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion Zone 2, Estancia on Sept. 21. He yielded over P2.8 million worth of illegal drugs.
Intelligence reports indicate that both suspects likely belong to a single drug group operating across northern Iloilo.
Joel is currently detained at the Balasan police station, facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño, director of the Police Regional Office 6, lauded the operating units for netting more than P5 million in illegal drugs across two operations.
“Sunod-sunod ang ating pagkakumpiska ng malaking halaga ng hinihinalang shabu, at malaking bahagi nito ay bunga ng tuloy-tuloy na intelligence gathering, validation, koordinasyon, at mahalagang impormasyong ibinibigay ng ating mga komunidad,” said Tuaño. “Ang magkakasunod na operasyon sa Estancia at Balasan, na batay sa paunang intelligence findings ay may ugnayan, ay mahalagang hakbang upang maputol ang daluyan at network ng ilegal na droga.”
He reiterated that law enforcement will continue pursuing other key players linked to the said drug group./PN
